The Prices We Pay
by Golden Immortality
Summary: Actions have consequences, and consequences can have devastating effects. Set a couple months after my one-shot, Countdown to Turkey.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Hey, everybody! This is my second Heartland story. I was overwhelmed and ecstatic for all of the positive feedback I received for my Heartland one-shot. You guys really encouraged me to write more Heartland stories. Now, this one is not going to be as fluffy as that one was. A lot of people wanted me to continue the one-shot, so this story is kind of a continuation of it. If you didn't read the one-shot, it's okay to read this one, there's nothing really you'd be missing. There's going to be a lot of drama and angst. But please stay with the story, you never know what might happen. This prologue might be a little confusing and/or might give some of you a heart attack, but things will become clearer in coming chapters. I hope you all will give this story a chance, just like you did with my last one. Anyway, enjoy. :)

* * *

 **~~ Prologue ~~**

The courtroom was filling up slowly with spectators, finding their seats and murmuring low conversations. The spacious room was meticulous, spotless, and plainly boring. All of the wood in the room was mahogany, from the bench seats to the judge's bench and the wood paneling. The lighting was sharp and bright. This was one of the biggest things to happen in Hudson, and everybody was curious and interested to know what will happen. It was late April, a beautiful spring day. Though the sky was blue and there was a warm breeze, all of that was the furthest from some people's mind.

The defendant sat at the defendant's table, hands folded on top of the table and eyes cast downward. His lawyer sat beside him, looking through his papers and preparing to make his case on his client's behalf. The defendant could feel everybody's criticizing gazes on him. They were surely trying to determine just by his posture and such whether he was guilty or innocent. He tried to ignore it and put it out of his mind, but everything that had happened in the past weeks weighed heavily on him.

The bailiff was a broad, tall man in uniform, standing guard over the room. He stepped forward and cleared his throat to get the room's attention. "All rise!" the man announced, in a steady booming voice. "The honorable Judge Victoria Winthrop is presiding."

Everybody stood in unison as the side door opened. An older woman, about in her fifties, with graying blonde hair and a tan, weathered face, dressed in black robes entered the room. She walked confidently to her judge's bench, all eyes trained on her silently. She climbed up, and sat down in her chair, nodding to the audience in her court. "You may be seated," she instructed everybody. Once again, all of the people sat down in unison. The judge studied the papers in front of her, after having slid on her glasses, then she banged her gavel two short times to call everybody to attention again.

"This is case number 7934, the commonwealth vs. Ty Borden," Judge Winthrop announced. She glanced up from the file, peering over her glasses. "Will the defendant please rise?"

Ty stood up from his chair a little too quickly, the legs of the chair squeaking on the wood floor. He smoothed down his blue and white striped tie and his light blue shirt. Ty started to place his hands on the table in front of him, but then thought that that would present him in a negative light. He just clasped his hands together in front of him. He wet his lips, swallowing, as he waited for the judge to continue.

"Mr. Borden, you have been charged with the murder of Hank Caldwell," Judge Winthrop stated. "How do you plead?"

Ty stood quietly, keeping his eyes level on the judge. He allowed his lawyer to speak for him, as he was instructed to do. His lawyer was only an inch shorter than him and was dressed completely in a suit. He had russet brown hair and was a little chunky. "Not guilty, you honor," Ty's lawyer, Joseph Dowell, answered.

"I see," Judge Winthrop replied, raising her eyebrows, looking back down at the papers in front of her. "I see here that bail has been proposed at $100,000 dollars." She glanced back up, expectantly.

"Yes, your honor." This time, the prosecutor stood up. She was a prim and proper woman, her dark hair pulled back on top of her head, and was dressed in a navy blue knee length pencil skirt, a navy blue blazer, and red orange blouse underneath. "The defendant's lawyer and I have come to an agreement that Mr. Borden does not present a threat to the public as of now. We propose that he be placed on house arrest until the date of his trial."

Judge Winthrop sighed, taking off her glasses. She looked out at the two lawyers and Ty. "Well, I disagree. I'm denying bail," the judge said.

Ty felt his heart sink down to his stomach as his breath caught in his throat. He heard muffled gasps of protest from behind him, and he had to forcibly tell himself not to turn around. If Ty looked at his family and friends, he would for sure lose his strength and resolve.

Judge Winthrop continued, "This is not some fight in the school yard, counselors. This is murder. From what I see here, Mr. Borden has a record and a past of trying to evade the police. I deem Mr. Borden a flight risk, and order that he be transported to the Hudson Penitentiary to await trial on May 6th." Judge Winthrop banged her gavel once. "Court is adjourned." She gathered her papers together, and climbed down from the bench, departing the courtroom.

Ty remained standing as two guards approached him. He kept his chin up, while the guards handcuffed his hands behind his back a little roughly. Ty stared straight ahead, at an unknown and bleak future.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Across town, someone else was facing an unknown future in a different kind of way. In Hudson Memorial, on the fifth floor in the Intensive Care Unit, a patient lay completely still in a hospital bed. She was attached to many screens and machines, monitoring all of her vitals and nearly everything her body was doing. She was in a coma from a bad head injury she sustained a couple weeks ago. Her family stood around her bed, along with the doctor.

"So, what exactly are we looking at?" one of the family members asked. This one's voice was quiet and strained, from all the crying she'd done and like more tears were on the horizon.

Dr. Seymour looked upon the family with compassion and sympathy. "I'm not going to sugarcoat things. You all need to know what you're facing," the doctor told them, truthfully. "You're in for a long and hard road. She sustained a very bad injury to the back of her skull. There was bleeding on the brain, but we fixed that with surgery. However, that could happen again. We're keeping a close eye on her, she's in the best care possible, and we'll get her out of the critical phase."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" another person asked, this time it was male. He had been facing the window, and now turned to face the doctor.

"The best you can do is just to be here with her," Dr. Seymour explained. "Show her that you're here. It's been said that comatose patients can feel when someone is talking to them or holding their hand. They've may not have been able to respond right away, but it's something for them to hold on to. Good news is that she is young and she has a good chance of waking up from this. This is just her body's way of healing what's been broken."

The man put his arm around the woman when she made a soft, whimpering sound. They both nodded understandingly at Dr. Seymour's words. She leaned her head against his chest and he rubbed his hand up and down her arm soothingly. They stared down at the girl on the bed. She was completely still, her hair fanned out on the pillow under her head and her arms lying by her side. She had a breathing tube down her throat helping her breathe, her chest rising and falling softly.

A machine counted off her heartbeats. _One...Two...Three..._

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, how is that for a first chapter. I know this was very short, but I promise the rest of the chapters will be long. Now, if anyone of you are still capable after all the angst I put you through, review and tell me what you thought of it. Ty's in prison for murder :O, and someone is in a coma? Who do you think it is? What happened? Review and you'll get the answers to these questions soon.


	2. Whispers in the Hall

**A/N:** I just want to thank everybody who reviewed and followed/favorited. It makes me happy that you're going to give this story a chance. You'll start to get some answers to what happened in the prologue, maybe not in this chapter, but really soon. The pieces will start coming together. Here's the official first chapter; enjoy.

* * *

 **~ Chapter One ~**

 **~~ Whispers in the Hall ~~**

 _ **Three Months Earlier, …**_

"Now, this project isn't due until next month," Mrs. Callahan said. The teacher stood at the front of the classroom in front of the chalkboard, speaking to her class of twenty seventh graders. "But I want you all to brainstorm and write down some ideas of who are you today and who you might be in the future. Tomorrow, I'll pair you up with a partner and you'll go over your lists with your partner adding to it."

Georgie glanced down at the paper explaining the project, and then at her blank notebook page. The thirteen year old looked around at some nearby classmates, finding that quite a few of them had already written some stuff down. She sighed and dropped her chin in her hand. She didn't really know who she was now and definitely not who she would be in the future. She tapped her pencil against her page and watched as her pencil made a cluster of small dots on the paper.

The bell rang, and Mrs. Callahan dismissed her class. Georgie closed her notebook and picked it up along with her textbook, standing up to leave. She made her way up the aisle when a girl with perfect blonde hair from the front of her row stood up and stepped in her way. Georgie groaned inwardly, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. The other girl, as usual, was dressed intricately and polished. Her smooth jeans were tucked into her designer boots and her pink plaid shirt looked to neat and fancy to ride in. She always looked perfect, but Georgie felt completely comfortable in her own dark flare jeans and red long sleeve shirt with a sketch outline of wild horses depicted on it.

"Your project shouldn't be too hard, Georgie," Olivia sneered, with a cat grin. "You are the little orphan horse girl."

"At least horses like me," George retorted, bitingly.

If the words stung, Olivia didn't let it show. She still smiled like she won and turned on her heel, her hair flipping around. She sauntered out of the classroom. Georgie glared at her back, before leaving the classroom herself, a good distance away from Olivia. She walked down the hallway, heading toward her locker. She arrived at her locker, which was right by her math classroom. Georgie spun the numbered dial easily, popping her locker open.

She just slid her book and notebook inside, when there was a quiet greeting from the locker next to her. Georgie looked over, seeing her new friend, Steven. She smiled at him. "Hi," she greeted him. "How was math?"

"It was good," Steven replied, taking a book out of his own locker. "Watch out. Mr. Temmy is calling kids up to the board to do problems. Most of the class did it, my problem wasn't that hard."

"Ok, got it," Georgie said, laughing. Since they had a couple of the same teachers, they've started to relay what happened during the class so that the other one could be prepared. It was their tradition everyday at this time. Georgie pulled out her math book. "Mrs. Callahan is assigning a real whopper of a project. I don't even know how to begin." Steven nodded, shutting his locker.

Just then, a quiet commotion erupted a couple feet down the hall from them. A group of kids were gathered around someone's phone, watching something intently. They were talking animatedly and laughing occasionally. Georgie grew curious. "What's going on over there?" she muttered, closing her locker with a soft bang. Steven shrugged unknowingly.

Georgie started wandering over to the group, with Steven walking slowly behind her. "What are you guys watching?" she asked the group.

The owner of the phone, a tall tan-skinned boy with black hair, whom Georgie thought his name was Gus, looked up at her. "A new episode of Man vs. Horse was just uploaded," he told her. "It's awesome!"

Georgie narrowed her eyes in confusion and curiosity. "What's Man vs. Horse?" she asked. She leaned in to try to catch a glimpse of the phone's screen.

"It's a web series. There's a new episode every week," a short, red curly-headed girl named Abigail explained this time. "It's about this guy who goes up against wild horses. It gets really crazy and scary sometimes."

Georgie felt a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. It sounded like an entertaining show, but something told her that something about it was wrong. A voice cut through the crowd, and Georgie turned her head to see Olivia standing there, leaning on her hip.

"That show is for barbarians," Olivia stated. Her eyes landed on Georgie and she smirked. "Then again, maybe it's just your type, Georgie."

Olivia walked away, and Georgie couldn't find any good comeback. Her mind was still focused on this awful show. She turned back to Gus' phone, moving in closer to get a better view. Dramatic music played in the background as horrible scenes played out. A tan horse reared up high, his eyes rolling in fear. The man facing him had his arms upraised, a whip clasped in one hand. The pair stood in a round pen. The man snapped the whip at the stallion, and the horse neighed louder, swinging out his front legs, landing, and then kicked out with his back legs. The man kept advancing on the horse, pushing him up against the fence.

"...I think it's filmed over on the old Caldwell ranch..." Gus was saying, as his eyes were still glued to his phone. Other kids began talking of their own theories, too.

Georgie had to look away, feeling sick to her stomach. Her eyes were wide and a gasp was on her lips but no sound came out. That man was torturing that horse, it was so obvious to her. But what could she do about it?

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ty took a deep breath and steeled himself. He'd been working at Bob's animal rescue farm, and he's taken care of some different animals that he normally wouldn't work with in a vet clinic. He loved working the new animals, but, as he walked toward this next enclosure, he felt his steps slow with trepidation. It was feeding time, and he saved this particular animal for last on purpose. The black bear clambered to his feet, having smelled the raw meat in the bucket Ty carried. The bear smiled a big toothy grin, as he walked over to the fence.

Ty swallowed, moving closer to the fence. He shouldn't have been nervous, he had treated the bear when he came in. The bear was in bad shape, after having been in a vicious attack with a pack of wolves. The bear was in pretty bad shape when he came in, with deep gashes and contusions all over his body. However, Bob said that the bear gave as good as he got. While the rest of the wolves had disappeared, there was one dead wolf lying a couple feet from the bear. The bear was injured and sedated when Ty treated the injuries, but now it was awake, albeit limping on its' broken leg.

"Hey, big guy," Ty said to the bear, just as he would to any other animal. "You ready to eat?" He held up the bucket, and the bear took a big sniff. Ty chuckled. He picked up a chuck of meat with a gloved hand and heaved it over the enclosure's fence. The bear pounced on it with his big paws, ripping into the meat with sharp canines. Ty tossed the rest of the meat from the bucket to the bear. The bear chomped on his food and picked up his head, chewing. The bear seemed to look right at Ty, saying thank you for the food and for the medical treatment.

Ty turned to leave, chuckling lightly to himself. Amy was rubbing off on him. He loved that about her, always thinking and putting a horse first. The way she spoke to it and handled it, he could watch her in complete blissful silence forever. He smiled just thinking of her, the way she'd lay her hand on a horse's face like she was trying to read his mind or the way she rode in on Spartan at their wedding, looking like an angel in white. Ty shook his head, telling himself to focus on work. He approached the bird enclosure, finding Bob in there attending to the small injured gray bird.

"How's she doing?" Ty asked, leaning his hand on the fence. The small bird had injured its' wing when it got a thorn embedded in its' wing.

"Almost as good as new," Bob explained, setting the bird on a swinging perch. "Her wing is healing nicely, no more infection. She's trying to fly, which is good thing."

"Are you going to release her soon?" Ty asked, taking a step back when Bob started to open gate.

Bob shook his head. "Nah," he said, stepping out of the enclosure and locking it behind him. "I'm going to keep her for another week, to make sure she'll be able to fly alright."

Ty nodded. Bob dusted off his gloved hands and faced Ty. "I'm going to go set the deer free, it's time," he told Ty. "Can you help me load them up in the truck? Then, you can take your break."

"Sure," Ty agreed. They set off side by side on the path to the deer pen. Ty knew that there were two does and a fawn, that were hit by a car. Ty was anxious to call Amy to know if she heard anything or not. He felt for his phone in his pocket and pulled it out. He checked the screen, but it was blank. No missed calls or messages. Right after he help Bob load the deer in the trailer, Ty was going to call Amy. Whether or not she had any news, he couldn't pass up a chance to hear her voice.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Good girl, Moonstone," Amy murmured to the chestnut mare. She rubbed the mare's face between her eyes. Moonstone stood quietly, calmly, in front of Amy. They stood in the round pen at Heartland, going through Moonstone's new training as a blind horse. Amy slowly unclasped the lead rope from Moonstone's halter, and tossed it gently behind her. Amy praised the horse again, before turning away and walking away from the mare. Then, she stopped and turned back around.

"Moon, here, girl," Amy called to the mare. Moonstone pricked her ears and turned her head in the direction of Amy's voice. The horse started walking over to Amy, even going into an excited trot before coming to a stop in front of Amy. Amy smiled, giving Moon another pat. Moonstone was really coming along in her training. Once she had calmed down and learned to rely on her other senses, she became a lot more attentive. Amy ran her hand down the mare's neck, then along her side, walking as she did so. Moonstone paid close attention to Amy with her ears pricked and flicking back and forth, Amy's hand keeping her calm. Amy ached to get on Moonstone to begin to see how the horse will respond to a rider, but she didn't want to push it.

"Amy!"

Amy turned at the sound of her sister's voice. Lou stood on the porch of the farmhouse, waving something in her hand. "Phone's for you!"

Amy waved back at her sister. "Okay," she called back. She turned back to Moonstone. "I'll be right back, ok, girl?" She rubbed the mare's neck, and then, as a last thought, reached into her pocket and fed Moonstone a mint.

Moonstone ate it up, bobbing her head happily. Amy left Moon in the round pen, closing and locking the gate behind her. She laid the lead rope over the fence. Moonstone stood in the center, listening to Amy leave. Finally, the horse lowered her head and nosed at the ground.

Amy jogged over to the farmhouse. She went through the gate and took the porch steps two at a time. Her niece, Katie, sat on the porch with her blocks spread out and making her toy horse and rider jump over the blocks. Amy smiled down at the little girl.

"Hi, Katie," Amy greeted her.

Katie looked up to see who has spoken to her. She saw Amy, then pointed back at Moonstone in the round pen. "Good girl, Moon," she mimicked Amy from earlier. Katie had been watching Amy's session with the horse.

"Yeah, she's a good girl," Amy said. "Maybe when I'm done on the phone, you can give Moon a carrot." Katie smiled grandly, and Amy ruffled the little girl's hair. She opened the door and slipped inside.

Lou was practically waiting inside the door and ambushed her when she walked inside. She had a big grin on her face. "I think this is it," Lou told her, in a stage whisper. "I think it's positive news." She pressed the phone into Amy's hands.

Amy laughed at her sister's eagerness, but she felt her own heart flutter in excitement. She walked further into the kitchen, pulling out a chair, and sitting down. She put the phone to her ear and listened to the woman on the other end of the phone line. Lou walked outside to the porch to get Katie, giving Amy some privacy. Amy spoke on the phone for about ten minutes, flying high and her heart soaring with happiness. She couldn't stop smiling from her excitement. Lou came back in with Katie on her hip just as Amy was ending the phone call.

"Okay, thank you so much," Amy replied, standing up. "We'll be there." She hung up the phone and placed it on the receiver.

"Well,..." Lou insisted, waiting to hear the news.

Amy turned around, her grin nearly splitting her face in two. She couldn't hold it back anymore. "They accepted our offer," she explained, happily. "The ranch is ours."

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, how was it? Did you all like it? I hope it started to answer a few questions. Any new theories? Please tell me what you think and like about this story in a review.


	3. Settlement

**A/N:** Thank you to everybody who read and reviewed the last chapter. I'm so happy that everyone is enjoying it. I am so sorry about the long wait; time just got away from me. I hope it doesn't happen again. Here's the next chapter; enjoy, you never know when the happiness will end, hehe!

* * *

 **~ Chapter Two ~**

 **~~ Settlement ~~**

"Mine, mine, mine!"

The little girl ran down the stairs and into the living room, laughing in glee. Katie held a ceramic horse up in the air in her hand as she ran. Georgie ran down the stairs after her sister. "No, Katie, it's not!" she yelled. "It's mine!"

Jack and Peter were in the living room when the girls ran in, both reading the newspaper and working respectively. Katie jumped onto the couch, running across it, and diving behind Peter. He was pushed forward, nearly knocking the laptop off of his lap. "Whoa, Katie, be careful," he chastised her, gently. Katie continued to duck down behind him, hiding from her big sister.

Jack lowered his newspaper, peering over his glasses as Georgie walked around and stood in front of the fireplace. "What's going on?" he asked.

"She took my ceramic horse that I made in art class," Georgie exasperated, pointing accusingly at Katie.

"Katie, is that true?" Peter asked his younger daughter. Katie held the rearing white horse to her chest, possessively.

"Mine," she said.

"Noo, Katie, it's not," Georgie exclaimed, throwing up her arms. "That one is mine, and I'm still working one in school. That one will be yours."

Lou came into the room at the point, her hand resting on her six month pregnant belly. "What's going on in here?" she asked.

Katie sat up, leaning on the back of the couch with a smile. "Look, momma, my horsie!" she exclaimed, holding up the horse again.

"No! Lou, it's not-" Georgie started to argue again. Jack stopped her by reaching out and putting a hand on her arm to calm her down. Georgie sighed loudly, but stopped.

"Georgie, why can't she have this one?" Peter asked the thirteen year old.

"Because I made this one white like Phoenix," Georgie explained. "I'm making the other one like Pogey." She moved closer to the couch, holding out her hand. "Katie, can I please have it back now?"

"My Phoenix," Katie shook her head, her blonde hair flying back and forth. She held the ceramic horse to her chest protectively and petted the mane gently.

"Now, Katie, you heard what Georgie said," Lou told her, putting her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Can you give Georgie back the horse?"

"NO!" Katie cried, her eyes getting teary. She pulled her arm back and threw the ceramic horse down. It hit the floor and cracked, the front legs breaking off. Katie jumped off the couch, down the hall, and into her bedroom.

"Katie, no!" Georgie shouted, shocked and hurt. "Ahhh!" She vented in frustration and anger.

"Katie, come back here," Peter called to the little girl. He stood up and went to after her. "Georgie, hold on," he told the older girl, as a last thought. Lou walked with him.

"Is it too late to rethink adding a third one to the mix?" Lou mumbled, sarcastically.

"I think so," Peter chuckled, guiding her along with his hand on her back.

Her parents disappeared down the hall, and Georgie dropped down on her knees to the floor. She picked up the two broken legs from her art project. "I hate having a little sister!" Georgie exclaimed.

"Hey, now," Jack said, setting his paper aside and leaning forward in his seat. He took off his glasses, holding them in his hands. "You don't really mean that."

Georgie sighed, "Noo." She swiped her hand across her eyes to stop herself from crying. She looked up at Jack, holding a ceramic leg in each hand. "Why did she have to do that? I was making one for her, too. It was just a little hard to get Pogey's pattern right."

"Well, you can't really blame Katie for this," Jack explained to her, calming her down. "Yes, she was misbehaving, not listening, and throwing a temper tantrum. I'm sure Lou and Peter are in there now, giving her a nice talk. But Katie is not the only one I recall having a tantrum once in a while."

Georgie looked at him skeptically.

"Don't give me that look," Jack replied. "You've been known to get mad, storm off, and do something reckless when you don't get your way."

"I don't break something important or special," Georgie muttered.

"No, you don't, but you don't think and I'm sure Katie didn't either," Jack continued. "She's probably feeling about bad about it. My point is that she's probably seen you act like that, and Katie looks up to you."

"So, you're saying that it's kind of my fault," Georgie said. "Great."

"I'm not placing blame. Katie loves and admires you," Jack corrected. "Look, soon, she's going to be a big sister, too, and the new baby will look up to her. And she'll need you even more to guide her in the right way, to be a great big sister like you."

"I guess you're right," Georgie sighed, feeling the new responsibility on her shoulders. She picked up the rest of her ceramic Phoenix. "I just wish she hadn't broken this."

"Well, let's see that. Bring it over here," Jack instructed her. Georgie crawled over on her knees and held out the little statue in her flat hands. Jack slipped his glasses back on, and took the horse and one leg. He studied it carefully for a minute, holding it close. "It looks like a nearly clean break, I think we can put some glue on this and it will be as good as new."

"Really?" Georgie asked again, her eyes lighting up with happiness instead of sadness now. She leaned over to see for herself.

They sat together leaning over the coffee table, Jack sitting in his chair and Georgie on the floor, fixing Georgie's art project. About five minutes passed, and ceramic Phoenix stood on the coffee table as Georgie held the broken legs on, waiting for the glue to set. A door in the hallway opened and closed, and a couple seconds later, Katie appeared back in the living room with Lou and Peter right behind her. Katie walked up to Georgie, her eyes cast downward and looking remorseful.

"I'm sorry, Georgie," Katie whispered, apologetically, tugging on Georgie's sleeve to get her attention.

"It's okay, Katie, I'm not mad anymore," Georgie accepted the apology. She pointed to the horse. "And, look, we fixed it all up. It's not broken anymore."

Katie looked over at it, sinking to the floor beside her sister and a smile started to creep onto her lips. "You fixed it?" she asked.

"Yeah, it doesn't even look like it was broken," Georgie answered. She pointed out where the pieces were glued, but Katie couldn't find it. Georgie put her arm around her sister and grinned up at Jack, before speaking to Katie again. "You know, if you had listened to me, I would have told you that even though I finished Phoenix first, yours gets extra time because it's special."

Katie's smile got bigger, her eyes twinkling. "Really?" she asked, excitedly.

"Uh-huh, Phoenix is just one boring color," Georgie smiled back at her, silently apologizing to her horse. She just wanted to make her sister happy. "But Pogey is _two_ colors. That's so much better, right?" Katie nodded enthusiastically. Georgie hugged her sister, and Katie hugged her back.

Jack watched the two girls' exchange, specifically at Georgie. The young girl had come a long way since she was just a runaway child two years ago. Heartland and the family had really changed her for the better. Suddenly, Jack had a silent revelation. He stood up from his chair, taking his glasses off.

"I just remembered, there's something I need to take care of," Jack said. He started walking to the door, as everybody spared him a glance.

"Oh, okay, but you're going to be back in time for Amy's and Ty's celebration dinner?" Lou reminded him.

"I wouldn't miss it," Jack assured her. Lou was barely reassured. Jack slipped on his jacket, and placed his stetson on his head. With a nod to the others, Jack left through the door.

Georgie appeared by Lou's side. "Since Amy and Ty aren't here yet, can I go outside and lunge Moonstone for a little bit?" she asked. "Amy told me I could do it every so often."

Lou deliberated for a couple seconds, then sighed softly in defeat. "Okay, but be careful, please," she told her daughter.

"Yes!" Georgie exclaimed, running over to the door to change into her barn boots.

"I wanna come!" Katie squealed, running after her big sister.

"Sure, Katie-cat," Georgie said to her. Katie giggled at the nickname. She leaned down to Katie's level, resting her hands on her legs. "But you have to be quiet, so you don't scare Moon."

"Ok," Katie nodded, understandingly.

"Just make sure you keep an eye on her, Georgie," Lou added, protectively. "Don't let her get hurt or touch anything."

"I will," Georgie agreed, half-absentmindedly. Katie reached for her pink cowgirl hat hanging on the hook; she learned to keep it right there so that she always knew where it was. Georgie slipped it off of the hook and playfully placed it on Katie's head.

Lou watched her daughters proudly, as they went out of the door. The door banged shut, and Lou moved over to the kitchen window to keep watching them. Georgie put her arm around Katie, as the younger girl tried to keep up with her. Peter came up behind her, his resting on her back. A warm and comforting presence that will always be there.

"I take back what I said earlier," Lou said to him, without taking her eyes off of Georgie and Katie. Peter listened to her, smiling. "I think he'll fit in just fine."

Lou placed her hand on her belly, and Peter moved his hand over top of hers. He kissed her cheek, his lips lingering on her soft skin for a minute. Lou leaned into him, happily and lovingly.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The old truck rumbled down the street. Ty took a hand off of the steering wheel and turned the dial on the radio, turning the volume down. Amy glanced over at him, and cracked a smile. She reached over to take his hand before he could place it back on the steering wheel.

"Nervous or excited?" Amy asked him, and he could hear the smile in her voice. To be honest, she was feeling both of those things herself and she was glad that he may be feeling the same things. The nervous, excited anticipation was killing her.

Ty flicked his eyes over to her for a second and then focused back on the road. "A little of both, I think," he admitted to her, sheepishly. He flashed a reassuring smile at her. "I'm trying to wrap my brain around the fact that in a few minutes the ranch will officially be ours."

"I know," Amy breathed out, looking out the windshield. Their interlocked hands rested on the empty seat between them, and Ty rubbed his thumb in circles on Amy's hand. "We've been trying for so long to get this ranch, and it's finally happening. It's almost unbelievable."

"Yeah," Ty murmured, in agreement. They lapsed into another comfortable silence as Ty turned the truck down the last street before the ranch.

When the truck turned, something slid out from under the bench seat and hit the back of Amy's feet. She leaned over to see what it was. Ty glanced at her quickly and then did a double take when he realized what she was doing. Amy pulled out a rectangular white box with a red bow tied around it.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Ty tried to stop her, but it was too late.

Amy sat back, holding the obvious gift. "What is this?" she asked.

Ty bit his lip, looking at the street. Then, with quiet resignation, he looked over at his wife. He gave her another sheepish grin and a shrug. "I wanted to get you something,...for the ranch," Ty explained. "Just a little congratulations-we-got-the-ranch present. Something to make it feel even more like home."

Amy smiled at him, gazing at him with so much love. It was so surprising and amazing that he would do something like this. Her heart swelled up with so much love and happiness that she thought it would burst. "Can I open it?" she asked, her happiness coming out in giggles.

"I was planning on giving it to you after we had signed the papers, but, yes, go ahead," Ty told her.

"Are you sure?" Amy asked again, nudging his shoulder gently. Ty laughed and nodded. She smiled at him curiously one last time, then looked down at the gift. Amy untied the silky red ribbon, placing it off to the side on the seat. The box rested on her lap as she lifted the lid up. Pushing the tissue paper aside, Amy gasped at what she found inside. It was a wind chime. The chimes were metallic silver, and at the top was a pair of white rearing horses, one slightly higher than the other. Amy lifted the delicate present a little bit out of the box, and looked over at Ty in awe.

"Do you like it?" Ty asked her, taking his eyes off of the road for a second to look at her and then looking back out the windshield.

Amy was nearly speechless. "Ty,...it's beautiful. You didn't have to," she answered him. She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. "I love it."

They reached the ranch, and Ty pulled the truck off the road, parking behind a dark blue car with a silhouette of a person in the driver's seat. Turning the car off, Ty turned to face her. "Look on the bottom," he instructed.

Amy turned it upside down, the chimes tinkling. She looked underneath the bottom of the two horses and found an inscription. It read: _Your heart will always be home, always and forever._ Amy stared down at it for a minute, a cocoon of warmth wrapping around her. She blinked back tears, touched by Ty's gesture. Then, she looked up at him.

"Ty, I..." She scooted across the seat, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him before she could finish her sentence. Ty held her lightly, his hands resting on her hips, as he moved into the kiss. Their lips pressed together, passionately. They melted into each other, their bodies fitting together perfectly. The kiss was sweet and sultry. Ty grazed his teeth against her lip, sucking it into his mouth and their tongues slipped against one another. They paused for a breath.

"I love you so much," Amy breathed, smiling, trying to catch her breath.

Ty smiled back at her, as their foreheads touched. "As much as I would love to stay right here with you, I think we should probably get out of the truck," he suggested. Amy nodded, reluctantly, biting her lip. Before he let her go, however, Ty pressed his lips to her forehead in a sweet, lingering kiss. "I'm glad you love it," he whispered. "Love you, too."

They got out of the truck, and, when Amy came around the truck, she slipped her hand into Ty's and their fingers intertwined together. Amy and Ty approached the other car, knowing it was the realtor from Mist Creek Realty. Ty rapped lightly on the driver's side window, to get the petite woman's attention. The woman was talking on her cell phone as she glanced over at them, holding up one finger. Ty nodded understandingly and turned to Amy.

"Do you want to walk around the ranch while we wait?" he asked her.

"Now, you know I do," Amy teased, happily.

They walked up to the gate of their soon-to-be ranch, and Ty held the gate open for her. They walked into the yard, Ty's arm automatically gravitating around Amy's waist. Amy took a deep breath, breathing in the smells of the ranch that seemed to be different than at Heartland. Everything was just how it was the last time they were here, like a photograph frozen in time. But soon, the ranch will be filled with life again. Amy could hardly wait.

Amy stopped walking, and moved in front of Ty, facing him. She smiled. "Let's play a game," she said, taking both of his hands.

Ty looked at her curiously, but he still started to smile. "What kind of game?" he asked her.

"Close your eyes," Amy told him, glad that he was willing to play along. Ty hesitated for a second, then listened and closed his eyes. "Now, picture yourself a couple years from now. What do you see?" She drifted off in silence as she did the same, closing her eyes. A couple minutes passed as they stood in quiet solitude.

They opened their eyes and gazed at each other, smiling. "Well?" Amy questioned, giving their connected hands a couple swings back and forth.

"You first," Ty said back.

Amy gaped at him, giving him a small teasing shove. "Alright, fine," she relented, laughing. "Um,..I saw myself working with a horse over there in the round pen. I finished up and went in search for you. I found in the clinic, and I had to convince you to stop working, you were working so hard."

Ty laughed. "I think you have it wrong," he disagreed, lightly. "I think you'd be one working too hard."

Amy laughed as well, shaking her head. "Maybe it will be both of us," she suggested, leaning close to him. His scent drifted to her, intoxicating her.

"Okay," Ty chuckled, agreeing. "And when one of us begins to work too much, the other one will be there to make them take a break." He slid his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer.

Amy nodded and smiled, leaning in for the kiss. It was a short and sweet one this time, just a lingering peck on the lips. "Enough stalling. What was yours?"

"Well, it was pretty much-" Ty started to say, but he was interrupted.

The realtor was approaching them, apologizing for keeping them waiting. Ty reassured the woman that it was okay. They all exchanged appropriate greetings and pleasantries. Then, they got down to business. Ty suggested they move onto the porch of the farmhouse, so that they could lean on the railing. Ty, ever the gentleman, allowed the women to go ahead of him. The realtor, Margie, pulled out the contract, and both Amy and Ty felt their hearts leap in anticipation. They gathered around, and Margie went through the contract, explaining it to them. Then, they handed over the check and it was time to sign their names. Amy went first, and then she waited on bouncing toes for Ty to sign his name.

"Ok, there you have it," Margie announced, taking the pen and closing the packet of now signed papers. "The ranch is officially yours."

Ty turned to Amy excitedly, and Amy threw herself into his waiting arms. He spun her around there on the porch, lifting her up in the air. Her arms wrapped around his neck, burying her face there also. When Ty set her back down on her feet, they kept each other locked in their embrace. Ty smiled at her and rubbed his nose against hers, in a butterfly kiss.

"Now, little Sarah has her ranch to run around on," Ty whispered, covertly.

"Sarah?" Amy repeated, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. Ty gave her a wink, and, suddenly, Amy knew what he had imagined in their future a couple minutes ago. Amy smiled and leaned in to kiss him again. They came in slow, to savor each other and to let this moment wash over them.

Their future was spread out in front of them, literally, all kinds of possibilities ahead of them.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, how was it? I hope you all like it. Please tell me what you liked and thought about this chapter. I love hearing from all of you. Please review.


	4. The Key to Heartland

**A/N:** Thank you for all of the lovely reviews. It made me so happy to read all of your reviews; you guys are awesome. Here is the next chapter, I am so sorry that it was so late again. :) Enjoy.

* * *

 **~ Chapter Three ~**

 **~~ The Key to Heartland ~~**

The farmhouse was quiet and peaceful, as the afternoon drifted into the evening. A wonderful dinner of roast beef, creamy mashed potatoes, fresh cut green beans, and warm buttery biscuits sat in the oven to keep warm until it was serving time. Lou was up in Georgie's room putting away some clothes, waiting on Amy's and Ty's arrival. She pulled open one of the middle drawers of the bureau and picked up a pile of clothes. She slipped the clothes inside, then closed it and opened the top drawer. As she was laying some socks in a row, her fingers brushed against something papery.

Curiously, Lou set down the laundry basket and pulled out the crumpled piece of scrap paper. It seemed ordinary enough and Lou was about to disregard it, until she caught sight of words on the other side. She flipped the paper over and smoothed out the creases, to read the messy scrawl.

 _Wanna go to the movies with me?_

Lou's mouth formed a small O as she realized what this was; her daughter's first date invite. The note wasn't signed, so whoever wrote it passed to Georgie in person. Lou smiled a secret smile. She took the note and picked up the laundry basket again, turning and leaving the bedroom.

"Peter!" Lou called as she came down the stairs.

Peter jumped up at her urgent tone, and walked around the couch to the stop at the landing of the stairs. "What is it? What's wrong?" he asked her, worried that something happened with the baby.

Lou stopped on the bottom step. "Oh, nothing is wrong," she reassured him. "Look at what I found in Georgie's room." She held up the little slip of paper.

Peter looked confused and a little curious. "You were snooping around in Georgie's room?" he accused her. "What is that?"

"I wasn't technically snooping, I was putting away laundry," Lou reasoned, holding up the laundry basket as proof. "This,...is our daughter's first date invitation." She smiled, giddily.

"What?" Peter said, his eyebrows furrowing. He took the paper from her and read it. His eyebrows rose after reading it. "We don't know that's what this is," he replied, holding the piece of paper out.

"Peter, our daughter was asked out on her very first date," Lou admonished, trying to convince him of how important and exciting this was.

"Ok, A, Georgie is thirteen, she's too young to date," Peter replied. Lou tilted her head and closed her eyes for a second in disagreement. "And, B, she probably doesn't even want to go."

"What?" Lou said, shocked.

"Why do you think she dumped it in her drawer?" Peter pointed out.

Lou thought about it. "Maybe she was just embarrassed," she thought out loud. Then, she gasped as idea sparked in her brain. She took the note back. "Maybe the person who wrote this wasn't the person she wanted to go with."

"Ok, what are you talking about?" Peter asked.

"Stephen," Lou said it like it was obvious. "I knew there was something about those two, I just knew it."

"Ok, you're acting a little crazy. I think the hormones are getting to you," Peter relented, sighing and running a hand through his hair. He started to turn away.

Lou wasn't going to let this go, however. She took a step after him, reaching for his arm. "Peter—-" she broke off when she felt a sharp jab in her stomach. A gasp escaped her lips as her hand automatically went to her belly.

Peter turned back to her in a rush, worriedly. "What's wrong," he questioned.

Lou glanced up at him with a reassuring smile. "The baby," she answered, "He's kicking."

Peter smiled and placed his hand on her belly to feel his son kick. It was a quiet moment as they waited for the baby to move again. A minute later, the baby finally did kick again, kicking once and then again right after. They grinned at each other in wonder and happiness, no words needed to be spoken. They leaned in for a kiss that was slow and lingering, and then went in for a longer, sultrier one. When the kiss was over, they were still smiling.

"I think he's telling you to chill out, too," Peter joked, sliding his arms around her waist.

Lou laughed and pecked him on the lips again. Then, she said, "Never call a pregnant woman crazy again."

Still smiling, they leaned in for another kiss, but their peaceful interlude was soon over. The front door opened, and Tim's greeting echoed throughout the house. Lou and Peter pulled apart, a promise for later hanging between them. They started walking to the kitchen, meeting Tim and Casey halfway.

"Hi, honey, how's my future rodeo cowboy doing?" Tim asked, as father and daughter greeted each other with a hug.

"Dad, I've told you a hundred times, he is not joining the rodeo," Lou reminded him, with her hands on her belly protectively. Tim just smirked in that usual way of his, like he wasn't even listening. Lou turned to Casey, as Tim and Peter greeted each other. The two women exchanged greetings, and Lou noticed the wrapped box in Casey's hands.

"Is that for Amy and Ty?" Lou questioned, politely.

"Yeah, just a little house-warming present," Casey explained.

Lou nodded. "Well, you can go put it in the family room," she instructed her.

"I told her she didn't have to get anything, but she insisted," Tim replied, leaning his elbow up on the door frame between the kitchen and living room.

"Well, I just wanted to give them something they needed for the house," Casey explained, with a small laugh.

"It was a very nice gesture," Lou replied, as Casey moved further into the living room to put down the gift. "I'm sure Amy and Ty will appreciate it."

Tim straightened up, rubbing his hands together. "So, where is everybody?" he asked, glancing around the nearly empty house.

"Well, Georgie and Katie are out at the barn, Grandpa left to go do something-I don't know what-, and Amy and Ty should be back soon," Lou explained.

"I hope Amy and Ty get back here soon," Tim replied, taking a deep breath. "Because dinner smells delicious."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Good job, Moonstone," Georgie said to the horse as the mare slowed down to a standstill. Moonstone turned her head toward Georgie for further instructions. "Go around one more time, Moon, and I'll let you rest." Georgie flicked the rope toward the mare to get her going again. Moonstone blanched slightly from the sound of the rope cutting through the air.

"One more time, Moon!" Katie repeated, from the other side of fence. The little girl leaned her body against the lowest wooden rung of the fence, her arms stretched out in front of her, nearly doing a balancing act. Georgie told her numerous times not to hang on the fence, but Katie refused to listen. She wasn't deliberately not listening; she was just more involved in having fun and didn't see the harm in what she was doing.

Another couple seconds passed, and then Moonstone started walking around the pen again. Georgie urged her into a trot and the mare obliged. She walked two circuits around the pen, before Georgie coaxed her into a trot. The horse bounded into a trot, tossing her head excitedly. As the thirteen year old worked with Moonstone in the pen, a truck was pulling into the driveway. Katie looked over at the rumbling sound, getting off the fence and standing up straight. Georgie glanced over for a second, but kept her full attention on the horse in front of her. The truck parked, and Jack and Lisa climbed out. Katie let out an excited squeal and ran over to them.

"Hi, Katie," Lisa greeted the little girl, bending down and picking her up in her arms. "What are you doing?" Both she and Jack started walking over to the round pen.

Katie pointed over at her big sister. Then, she spread her arms out wide. "We have party!" she exclaimed.

Lisa laughed and tickled her. "Yes, we are, for Amy and Ty," she told her.

Jack leaned on the fence rail, watching Georgie reverently. "How's she doing?" he called over to her.

Georgie halted Moonstone and turned around to start walking over to the fence. "Moon is doing so good," Georgie sang, happily.

"She's looking good out there," Jack commented. "And so are you."

Georgie grinned modestly, looking down at the ground. Suddenly, she heard hoof beats behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Moonstone walking over to her, ears pricked forward. Georgie gasped, her grin getting even bigger, if that was possible. "She's never done this before!" she exclaimed, holding herself back from jumping up and down. "She does it with Amy all the time, but this is the first time she's done it with me!"

"Well, it looks like we have another Miracle Girl in the making," Lisa replied, looking over at Jack and then back to Georgie. Georgie's excitement was contagious, rubbing off on everybody. Katie reached through the fence to pet Moonstone's head.

"Yes, we do," Jack said, proudly. Georgie turned, and rubbed her hand over Moon's nose and cheek, murmuring praises to the mare. When Georgie had her back turned, Jack and Lisa shared a secret smile.

Then, they took a step back from the fence. "Ok, so, we saw Amy and Ty driving up the road when we were coming. They'll be here in a minute," Jack told her. "Finish up with her and come inside."

"Okay," Georgie agreed, without looking.

Jack and Lisa took Katie back up to the house, leaving Georgie alone with Moonstone. Georgie picked up the lead rope again, and unlatched the gate. She led Moonstone out of the round pen and to the barn, cooing to her the entire way. She gave the mare a nice brushing, which Moon enjoyed. She put Moon into her stall, and left to get her feed. Georgie didn't hear the truck pull into the yard, but when she was coming back with Moonstone's bucket, Amy and Ty were walking toward her hand in hand.

"You're back!" Georgie called to them. "I'm almost done, I'm just feeding Moonstone." Ty opened the stall door for Georgie, since she had her hands full.

"Any problems with her today?" Amy asked, holding out her hand toward Moonstone. Moon put her nose in Amy's palm, but then followed the smell of her feed.

"No," Georgie answered, going into the stall and putting Moonstone's bucket down. Moon sniffed it interestingly, like she was making sure it was her food, and then started eating it. Georgie came back out of the stall and could barely hold herself back. "You'll never believe this!" she exclaimed. "I was lunging her, and I turned around to tell Jack how she was doing. She followed behind me, Amy! Just like with you."

"Wow, Georgie. She really trusts you now," Amy said, grinning along with Georgie. "When we bring her over to the new ranch, you can come over whenever you want to help out with her, with Lou's permission of course."

Georgie locked the stall door, and turned to Amy, confused and disappointed. "Wait, you're taking her with you?" she questioned. "Won't she get scared or confused?"

"Well, it will be a change for her," Amy explained, "but we've worked with her to be able to trust her other senses more. Georgie, she's one of my clients. I have to take her."

"Oh," Georgie replied, not cheering up. "I just realized that you're going to be working at your ranch now. You're not going to be at Heartland anymore, it's not going to be the same."

Amy didn't really know what to say, since some things will change. However, she put her arm around the younger girl's shoulder and tried her best. "It won't be that different," Amy told her. "And you'll have more time to ride Phoenix, and to practice trick riding."

"Yeah, I guess," Georgie said, sullenly.

"It won't happen right away," Ty added, putting his hand on her shoulder. "We have some work to do on the ranch before we can move in."

Georgie didn't say anything. Amy and Ty shared a look over the thirteen year old's head, shrugging with sympathetic expressions. "C'mon, let's go eat," Amy finally said.

The three of them walked across the yard to the farmhouse. They entered the kitchen, and Amy and Ty were assaulted with congratulations. Everybody sat down at the table to eat the delicious meal. They had quite a bit to talk about, as Amy and Ty recounted the moment they became ranch owners. Amy shared Ty's unexpected but wonderful gift, except she didn't have it with her to show off. They had found a place for it, hanging on the corner of the porch of their house. It was their first visual sign that the ranch was becoming their home.

After dinner, everybody moved into the living room for coffee and dessert; a chocolate crumb cake with iced frosting. Georgie sat down on the floor next to Katie at the coffee table, to help her with her cake. The little girl was having trouble with not scooping too big scoops from her slice of cake. Lou and Peter sat behind their daughters on the couch, curled together with Lou rubbing her belly slowly and absentmindedly. Tim and Casey sat on the other end of the couch. Jack sat in his chair, with Lisa perched on the arm of it. Ty took up the other chair, gently pulling Amy onto his lap. Their hands interlaced instinctively. Amy and Ty opened up their house-warming gift from Casey, which happened to be a coffeemaker. They may not have furniture or anything yet, but at least they'll be wide awake.

Jack looked over at Lisa, and she gave him an encouraging nod of her head. He cleared his throat to get the whole room's attention. "Let's toast to Amy and Ty, and their new ranch," Jack said, raising his mug. "We are so happy for you, and we'll all chip in and help get the ranch fixed up."

Everybody raised their mugs and toasted to Amy and Ty. They smiled thankfully and appreciatively at everyone else. Ty set the plate they'd been using to feed each other from one slice of cake down on the fireplace. "Well, we'll certainly need everyone's help to fix it up," Ty laughed, and everyone laughed with him.

"Now, I don't want to take the focus off the two of you and your celebration," Jack continued. "but this whole thing has made me think of something." He now had everyone's attention, as the room fell to a hush. "When it came to the future of Heartland, I always thought it would go to Amy. Plans change and I'm a man slowly getting used to change."

"Grandpa, what are you talking about?" Lou asked, leaning forward as did Amy.

"Georgie, I left something in my coat pocket. Can you go get it?" Jack asked the young girl instead.

Georgie nodded, looking curious though. She got to her feet and sprinted from the room. Everybody looked back at Jack for answers, but he didn't say anything. He just waited for Georgie to return. She returned, holding folded, official looking papers. "Can you read them please?" Jack asked her.

Georgie looked around the room at everybody as they turned to look at her, and then she unfolded the documents. She read silently for a couple seconds, then she gasped loudly and looked up disbelievingly. "You're giving us Heartland?!" she exclaimed, appalled.

That caused a slight uproar, everybody starting to speak at once. Lisa was the only one, besides Katie, who wasn't talking. She laid her hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack held up in his hand to silence everybody. He faced Lou and Peter. "I know the two of you have been searching for your dream home, when, in actuality, it was here the whole time. You all knew it. With Amy leaving to start her own ranch," Jack paused to smile proudly at Amy. Amy smiled back at him. "I believe the legacy of Heartland has fallen onto another's shoulders."

Jack smiled over at Georgie. Georgie walked over to him slowly. When she passed by the couch, Lou stroked her arm softly. She stopped in front of Jack. He continued speaking to her. "Georgie, you have come a long way from the runaway child who came into our lives two years ago. You excel at everything you do and you blossom more beautifully every day." Georgie smiled self-consciously.

Jack leaned back slightly to include Lou and Peter in his gaze. "Now, nothing will change, just a simple change of names on a deed," he added. "Can I trust you with the care of Heartland?"

It was quiet, and then Lou and Peter grinned at each other. But it was Georgie who answered, her face lighting up in the biggest and brightest smile ever. "Yes!"

* * *

 **A/N:** How was it? I hope you all liked it, and I am so sorry for the long wait again. Please review and tell me what you think. :)


	5. The Lookalike Horse

**A/N:** Thank you to everybody who read and reviewed the last chapter. I am so sorry that I kept everyone waiting an extremely long time for this chapter. I hope I still have some readers left. I can't wait to see what you all think of this chapter. So, here it is; enjoy.

* * *

 **~ Chapter Four ~**

 **~~ The Lookalike Horse ~~**

 _ **A couple days later,...**_

A knock sounded on the other side of the trailer door. Ty was seated on the bench seat at the kitchen table, putting on his shoes. He leaned over to look out the window, and found his friend, Caleb, at the front door. "Come on in," Ty called, loud enough for Caleb to hear him. He went back to tying his shoe.

The door opened with a squeak, but Caleb took his time coming in. "Is everybody decent in here?" he asked, one foot on the step.

Ty chuckled. "It's okay, Caleb, Amy's not here," he told him, putting his foot down on the floor.

"I just don't want to cause any awkwardness by walking in on anything," Caleb said, as he entered the trailer. "I know what it's like to be on the other end." He was referring to Thanksgiving when Georgie had walked in on him and Ashley in a compromising position in the barn loft at Heartland. It was an embarrassing situation all around, and they all wanted to forget that happened.

Ty laughed, closing his laptop that sat on the table next to a paper plate with toast crumbs on it. "Well, Lou is taking Amy furniture shopping today, so Amy thought it would be easier to just sleep at Heartland," Ty explained. He pulled his bag over and started going through it, making sure everything he needed was in there.

Caleb opened the refrigerator, looked in it for a minute, and then chose an apple. "That's good, man," he replied, leaning up against the counter. "I thought for a second that there was trouble in marriage paradise for you and Amy." He bit into the apple with an a loud crunch.

Ty chuckled, "No, Amy and I are better than good, actually. No trouble here." He stood up, and, after patting his pockets, went in search for his wallet. "So, what brings you here?" Ty asked, squeezing past Caleb to get to the other side of the trailer.

Caleb munched on his apple, watching his best friend move around. "Well, I just thought I'd stop by to tell you I'm starting a rodeo class next week," he revealed, biting back his smile. "I'm still doing the horse backing, on the side though."

"Wow, that sounds great, man," Ty replied, finding his wallet on the floor by the bed. He picked it up and slid it into his back pocket, flashing a congratulatory smile at his friend.

"Yeah, I'm going to do things differently this time around with Ashley," Caleb explained. "I'm not going to let money become one of our problems."

"I'm happy for you, Caleb," Ty said. "I hope things work out for you and Ashley." He was about to ask Caleb more about the rodeo classes he'd be teaching, when his phone buzzed from the kitchen table. He told Caleb to hold on and went over to his phone. Ty picked it up, seeing that it was Bob calling him. "Hello?" he said into the phone. "Don't worry, I'm on my way now."

"Don't bother," Bob replied, from the other end of the phone. "I just received a call about a coyote caught in a fence over on Old Creek Road. I'm going to need your help. It's in pretty bad shape, but I'm bringing some sedatives just in case."

"Ok, got it. I'll meet you over there," Ty acquiesced, nodding. Bob rattled off the address of the woman who had called it in. Ty said okay and then ended the phone call. "Sorry, Caleb, I'm going to have to cut this short," he apologized to his friend.

"Hey, that's cool, man," Caleb assured him. "Work calls."

Ty pocketed his phone and slipped his bag over his shoulder. He opened the trailer door, but turned back to Caleb. "But I still want to hear about this new job of yours. I'm curious to know how you're going to handle this."

Caleb laughed, following Ty out of the trailer. "Yeah, and Ash and I would like to know when you and Amy will be moving into the ranch?" Caleb joked, but still serious. "Heartland's barn loft has an astounding lack of privacy."

Ty laughed with him as he walked over to his truck. "When we know, you'll know," he told him. He opened up the driver's side door, tossing his bag inside. He leaned on the door, as Caleb got into his own truck. "In fact, I just recruited you to help fix up the ranch with us."

"You know we'll help you in any way we can," Caleb accepted, climbing inside of his truck. "Especially if it gets you out of here faster." Ty and Caleb laughed and grinned at each other, then waved goodbye. They went about their days after that.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ty followed the directions Bob had given him, pulling his truck up to the small, quaint, cozy house. It was white, with blue shudders, and a pretty garden of flowers along the front. It was a small farm, a chicken coop sat off to the far left side of the house. It matched with the same colors of the house, except some of the paint was chipped on the side. Chickens roamed around the yard, pecking at the ground. Ty pulled his truck in the driveway, parking behind Bob. Ty got out of his truck, bringing his vet bag with him just in case the coyote needed immediate medical care. As he walked over to where Bob was standing waiting for him, Ty glanced around but he couldn't find any fence with any coyote stuck in it.

The front door of the house opened right then, and a middle aged woman with honey brown hair hanging just above her shoulders appeared and she huddled inside of a navy blue light jacket. She walked over to Ty and Bob. "Oh, good, you're here," the woman said, by way of greeting. "I was getting worried for the coyote."

"You must be Mrs. Baker," Bob replied, shaking her hand quickly and efficiently. Then, she shook Ty's hand. "Let's get down to business of rescuing this coyote. Where is he?"

"Yeah, he's just down the hill over there a little ways," Mrs. Baker explained. She started walking, leading them to where the coyote was. They fell into step alongside her. "My husband was out in the yard earlier this morning, when he heard a strange sound. It was like a howl and a moan mixed together. He went looking for it and found the poor animal tangled up in the fence. My son, Dean, is over there now. He's such an animal lover, I can't get him away. I warned him not to get to close to it, and not to close to the fence, either."

"Well, we want to thank you for calling this in," Bob thanked her. "A lot of people would have seen this one and taken a gun to it. Every animal deserves a chance, no matter predator or prey."

Mrs. Baker nodded and smiled. "I love my chickens, but Dean would have never have let his father shoot the coyote, even he wanted to," she replied. Then, her smile faltered some as it looked like she just remembered something. "Oh, the fence isn't actually ours. It's on our neighbor's property. Hank Caldwell."

The two men stopped and looked at her. "Will there be a problem?" Ty asked.

"Well, there's a rule in this neighborhood," Mrs. Baker started to explain, "Don't get in Hank Caldwell's way. He doesn't like anybody on or near his property. He has shot one of my chickens for being too close to the fence, that's why I warned my son to stay from it. Hank is not very neighborly, but maybe if you let him know what you're doing, he won't take extreme measures."

They came to the wire fence that ran along the edge of both properties, ending at the street. The first thing they saw was the back of a sixteen year old boy sitting on the ground. He had the same honey brown hair as his mother and he hunched forward toward the fence. His mother called to him and when he shifted, they could see the crumpled form of the coyote. He was a mess of fur, wire, and blood, a lot of blood. It looked like he had tried to get through a hole in the fence, but, of course, didn't make it. Dean climbed to his feet, turning to Bob and Ty.

"I tried to keep him as calm as I could," the teenager explained, nervously rubbing his hands on his jeans. "He was thrashing around a lot more than this, I think he was digging the fence in farther in his wounds."

"You did a good job," Ty praised the boy, clapping his hand on the boy's shoulder. Dean smiled at the compliment. "We'll take it from here."

"Ok, see? They can take it now," Mrs. Baker said to her son. She put her arm around his shoulders and started leading him away from the scene. "Now, let's get you to school. You shouldn't miss the whole day." The pair began walking back to their house, Dean retelling enthusiastically everything he did for the coyote.

Bob walked over to the fence and knelt down a couple feet away from the coyote. He took tools and other stuff out that he would need. "Ok, I'm going to get started here, assess what needs to be done," Bob announced. "Will you go down to Mr. Caldwell's house and fill him on what we're doing. The last thing we need is to get arrested." He laughed on the last part.

Ty nodded, but he was a little nervous to go talk with the guy. He walked along the fence toward the street, and then he turned onto the Caldwell property. As he walked down the driveway, Ty noticed that the house and yard was not well-kept. Some of the windows were either missing shutters or had broken ones. The house was in need of a new paint job, and the porch was missing a couple of rails and one dangled in half off the porch. The grass had grown to about mid-calf and was a yellow shade almost brown. Ty could make out a barn behind the house, in worse shape than the house. It was a great hulking shadow, sitting and rotting.

About a hundred feet away from both the barn and the house, was a round pen with the rails taller than a horse's head. Ty studied it more and realized there was a horse in there. He was standing still, his body extremely tense like he was ready to bolt. He was staring at Ty, and started stretching his head through the fence, sniffing loudly. The horse snorted, growing still again. Ty nearly came to a stop as he realized that this horse was all black, looking nearly identical to Amy's horse, Spartan. If he didn't know any better, he'd think this was Spartan. The only difference was that this horse was strung like a live wire, ready to go off at any moment. As the horse stared at him, something in the back of his mind screamed _wrong, wrong, wrong._

"What the hell are you doing on my property?!"

Ty jumped, startled. He looked away from the lookalike horse, finding the front door was now opened and a man stood on the doorstep. He was a middle-aged man, with an average build and a nearly shaved head. His eyes seemed penetratingly dark, and he held a rifle in one hand. Ty licked his lips, growing nervous from the man's defensive stance.

"Uh, um, Hank Caldwell?" Ty asked him.

Hank just narrowed his eyes, without saying anything.

Ty cleared his throat and decided just to start talking. "I'm part a wildlife rescue team," Ty explained, "Your neighbor reported a coyote trapped in your fence over there. We just wanted-"

"-I sure as hell didn't put it there," Hank interrupted, quite crudely.

"No, no, I didn't say that," Ty corrected him. "I just wanted to let you know that we might have to cut into your fence to free the coyote. It's pretty banged up."

"Want to borrow my gun?" Hank offered. "It will be a whole lot easier than tearing apart my fence. Put the damn thing out of its' misery."

Ty tried not show what he really thought about that idea, lest it make him angry. "Uh, thank you," he said instead, "but I think we're going to handle this in a more humane way."

Hank shrugged, and started to turn away to go back into the house. Ty was about to leave, until his eyes flicked over to the horse again, who was still staring at him. He turned back to Hank. "Hey, funny thing, uh,...about your horse?" Ty said, chuckling a little bit.

"What about him?" Hank retorted, gruffly.

"Nothing, I,...he looks identical to my wife's horse," Ty explained. "It's really weird."

"I didn't steal him," Hank interrupted again, a little defensively. "I bought Spiridon with my own money, from an auction."

"No, I wasn't accusing you of stealing," Ty assured him. "I just thought it was kind of cool or something."

Hank made an indistinguishable sound under his breath, and then turned back around. He disappeared back inside the house, the door slamming shut. Ty turned to leave, trying to figure out what to make of this interaction with Hank Caldwell. He stared walking back down the driveway, but then stopped and turned back. He could see Spiridon's eyes through the fence rails, staring back at him in a haunting and powerful way. All of a sudden, Ty got a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Georgie! Over here!"

Georgie moved out of the lunch line after paying for her meal, consisting of tuna casserole, green beans, a fruit cup, and carton of chocolate milk. She looked around the cafeteria and found Stephen waving to her from a table over by the windows. Her smile was instantaneous as she started to walk over to the table. A bunch of other kids were also sitting at the table; Gus, Abigail, a boy with blonde hair falling in his eyes named Cyrus, and, unfortunately, Olivia. Luckily, Olivia was sitting closer to the other end of the table, her tray pushed up against Cyrus' tray. Georgie slid onto the bench seat across from Stephen, while also saying hi to the others.

"What's going on?" Georgie asked, glancing down the table. Gus had pulled out his iPad and laid it on the table, searching for something. The others were leaning over, too, and chattering.

"Well, we were talking about the new _Inside Out_ movie, everybody wants to go see it," Stephen explained. He looked over at the other kids and shrugged. "I don't know what they're doing now." He spooned some chocolate pudding out of the plastic cup on his tray, sliding the spoon into his mouth.

Georgie snickered, biting her lip and covering her mouth with her hand. Stephen looked at her curiously. "What?" he asked.

"You have some pudding on your lip," Georgie told him through bouts of giggles, tapping the top of her own lip to show him where it was. Stephen ducked his head bashfully and reached for his napkin. They spent the next minute laughing and Georgie trying to tell him exactly where the pudding was on his face.

After Stephen wiped the pudding off, he sobered up and glanced up, watching Georgie. She was opening up her carton of chocolate milk, still giggling a little bit. In her concentration, a strand of hair fell into her face and she pushed it back behind her ear without faltering.

Stephen cleared his throat quietly. "Um, Georgie?" he started to ask.

Georgie glanced up, sticking a straw in her milk and taking a small sip, innocently. "Yeah?" she answered. Stephen suddenly got shy under the weight of her gaze and couldn't speak for a second. He wet his lips, and opened his mouth to say something.

"Ok, guys, look! It's been posted." Gus announced, shattering the moment. Stephen looked away somewhat relieved and disappointed at the same time. Georgie looked over at the other kids as well, none the wiser. Gus slid his iPad to the center of the table, where everybody could view it. Even Olivia seemed interested enough to want to know what it was. Georgie leaned across the table next to Abigail to see.

It appeared to be some kind of website on the screen of the iPad. At the top of the screen, in big bold letters, read the name of the website: _Man Vs. Horse_. There were different links taking the visitor to different parts of the site, but the one Gus had clicked on was like a blog post. A sick feeling began creeping in Georgie's stomach again and it only grew as her eyes traveled over to the photo next to the text. The black horse stood tall and rigid in a high-fenced pen, staring at the camera with a wary gaze. Georgie let out a small gasp as she had a sudden terrible thought that this horse was Spartan. It looked just like him. As much as it scared her, she told herself that Spartan was safe and sound back at Heartland, grazing on grass in the paddock.

Gus made himself the narrator. "They posted the new horse for the next episode of the show," he paraphrased. "It sounds like it'll be the best showdown yet. This horse is stubborn and unruly, more than the others have been. It says he was the leader of one the wild herds."

All of a sudden, Georgie couldn't stop herself. She dropped her fork onto her tray. "How can you enjoy watching that show?!" she exclaimed. "That man is obviously kidnapping those horses and abusing them. It's so sick and disturbing that he's calling it entertainment!"

"It's just a show, Georgie," Gus argued, slightly. "None of the horses are harmed or anything. They have to make things big and look dangerous to make a great show."

"Yeah, I'm sure all of the trainers and people make sure all of the horses are okay," Abigail added, quietly.

"You guys don't really believe it, do you?" Georgie continued. "Have any of you ever been to this place? You don't know what's really going on there,..." She looked around at the others, trying to plead with them to understand where she was coming from.

"No, but that would be so awesome," Gus replied, getting all excited. "I would love to go see that place, visit the set. Maybe get a live viewing." Then, they all started talking about how cool it would be to the set and all of the things they would see.

Georgie turned back to Stephen. He gave her a small smile, shrugging his shoulders. Georgie picked up her fork again, and began picking at her tuna casserole. "It's just all very disgusting and suspicious," Georgie sighed. "Why doesn't anyone get that?" She murmured, leaning her chin in her free hand.

"I get it."

Georgie turned to see who had spoken. Olivia had gotten up from the table and was walking to dump her tray in the trash. She stopped right beside Georgie. They looked at each other in silence, and then they smiled at each other.

For once, the two enemies were in complete agreement.

* * *

 **A/N:** Did you all like it? I hope it was worth the long wait I put you all through. Mmmm, things are starting to heat up. Any new theories popping up? Please review, I love to hear from all of you.


	6. Fresh Paint

**A/N:** Thanks again to all of my reviewers, I'm glad I didn't lose you guys. I love reading all of your theories about what might happen. Some of you are close and some are not so much. I'm happy that everybody is enjoying my story. Here's the next chapter, which is mostly fluffy with a little bit of seriousness. Enjoy :)

* * *

 **~ Chapter Five ~**

 **~~ Fresh Paint ~~**

Saturday came in a blur. The day was sunny and bright, a picture perfect blue sky. Rain was expected, later on in the day, but that would be when the day's events would be practically done. A spring breeze kept the day nice and cool. The street leading to Healing Hearts Ranch was clear and smooth, hardly any traffic. Lou and Peter drove in the car with their two daughters, on their way to Amy's and Ty's new ranch to help them fix it up. Peter reached across the console to take Lou's hand. He smiled at her as she smiled at him while still humming and stroking her belly.

"Are you sure you're going to be able to do this?" Peter asked her, concernedly.

"Yes, of course," Lou reassured him. "If this turns out anything like the wedding plans, I'll barely be able to get Amy to make a decision." She looked forward, releasing a small sigh and thinking about what's to come. "I hope she, at least, looked at the paint samples I laid out. The right, or wrong, color scheme can affect the whole room."

"I'm sure she did," It was Peter's turn to do the reassuring. "It may not seem like it at times, but Amy really does value your opinion and help." Lou nodded and smiled at him, squeezing his hand.

"I'm gonna help, too," Katie piped up from the backseat. The little girl had paused in her game, holding her stuffed pink unicorn against the window.

Lou and Peter both chuckled, glancing into the back at their daughter. "You're going to help Amy make the house look nice?" Peter repeated, looking at Katie through the rear view mirror. Katie nodded, beaming widely and excitedly.

Lou turned around in her seat to look at Katie, smiling. "Ok, you help Amy pick out the colors to paint the house," she told the little girl. "Which color do you like?"

"Ummm, pink," Katie answered, after tapping a finger against her chin.

"Pink?" Peter replied, laughing, glancing back at his daughter before looking back at the road. "You think Amy and Ty should paint their house pink?"

"Yeah,...with unicorns on it," Katie giggled. She held up her stuffed unicorn, swinging her legs back and forth. "It will look pretty!"

"I bet it will," Lou smiled at her. "and I'm sure Amy and Ty will love it, especially if you tell them yourself." She turned back around to face the front, catching Peter's glance toward her. They snickered together under their breath. Katie started talking to herself, saying how the unicorns on the walls will look just like her stuffed animal and that she will help Amy draw them on. The little girl was getting more excited by the minute.

Lou glanced in the rear view mirror at her oldest daughter behind her. Georgie had her head down in deep concentration, her thumbs tapping on her new phone. "Georgie, make sure when you are helping that you don't get in the way and you be careful," Lou instructed her daughter. Her words were met with silence and phone tapping. "Georgie?" she called to her.

"See, I told you she's too young for her own phone," Peter remarked, in a whisper, nodding to the girl absorbed in her phone. "Kids don't know how to separate themselves from technology, it becomes like a third limb."

Lou placed a hand on his arm to stop his little rant. "Georgie is at the age where she's going to be going out on her own," she explained to him, softly. "She needs a way to get in touch us or the family if she needs it. It will keep her safe and we'll feel better that way."

Peter nodded, already knowing all of this. It was what convinced him to let Georgie have the phone in the first place. But some things were going to take some time to get used to. He looked over his wife suspiciously at something else she had said. "Going out where?" he questioned.

Lou tilted her head at him, silently reminding him of Georgie's 'date invitation' she had found in her bedroom. Peter shook his head, chuckling quietly, that she was still pursuing this, and turned back to the road in front of him.

"Georgie, momma's talking to you!" Katie called, shaking her big sister's arm.

Georgie pulled her arm away, but looked up questioningly and apologetically. "What?" she asked, her hands and phone falling to her lap.

"I said be careful when you're helping at the ranch," Lou repeated, glancing back at Georgie through the rear view mirror.

"Ok," Georgie agreed, with a quick nod of her head. Before she could return fully to her phone, Peter flicked his eyes back to her.

"Who are you texting?" he asked, curiously and a little bit protectively.

"Peter,..." Lou chastised him, softly, tapping his arm. Peter looked at her innocently, but, as it turned out, Georgie didn't have a problem answering the question.

"Oh, just Olivia," Georgie explained.

Both Lou and Peter looked shocked. "I thought you and Olivia didn't really like each other. She can be _a little_ difficult _,_ " Lou questioned. "What are you texting about?"

"Well, I don't, but, strangely, we both agree on something," Georgie finished explaining. "There's this creepy guy on a show on the internet who 'fights' with wild horses. I've only seen one episode, but I can tell that he's hurting and abusing those horses. All of the kids at school think it's so cool and amazing, like it's the best thing since the The Hunger Games. Olivia and I both think it's disgusting."

Lou made a sound of understanding. Peter said, "Well, you know some of these shows are made to look very real. They make it so that you can't tell when something is fake." He peered at Georgie to see if she understood what he was saying.

Georgie looked back at him a little unsure but still a little determined. "Yeah, but I have a weird feeling about this," she replied. "So, Olivia and I are trying to start a petition to get the show canceled or something, maybe free the horses or something. Though, we don't really know what to do beyond getting signatures."

"Bringing public attention to anything is a good way to start," Lou suggested. She turned around in her seat to look at her daughter directly. "I love how passionate you about this, you remind me of Amy sometimes," Georgie smiled self-consciously. "Just don't get your hopes up too high. Sometimes things don't work out the way we want them to."

Georgie nodded in understanding, yet a little solemnly too. The rest of the car ride was quiet and uneventful. The family pulled into Healing Hearts ranch. The yard seemed surprisingly quiet, despite there going to be plenty of work , and maybe arguing, going on. Jack and Tim were over by the paddock fence, seemingly arguing over how long exactly the rails should be. The fence was broken and/or rotted in some places, but overall it was in very good shape. Most of the ranch was, in good shape. It just needed that special touch to make it home.

Peter parked the car, and they all climbed out. He was helping Katie out of the car when Amy walked out of the barn, having heard them arrive. Georgie bounded over to her, meeting her halfway, with her family right behind her. The thirteen year old was itching with anticipation. Amy just barely was able to greet them all and thank them for helping out, before Georgie was talking over her.

"Ok, what can I do to help?" Georgie asked, brightly. "I can't wait to see what this place looks like when we're done." She looked around at the ranch, her eyes shining, before looking back at Amy. Amy, Lou, and Peter smiled and laughed at Georgie's enthusiasm. She didn't seem to realize that it was going to take more than one day to fix this place up.

"Me too!" Katie parroted, loudly, just to be like her big sister.

"Well, let's see," Amy said, looking around and figuring everything out in her mind. "Grandpa and dad, I think, pretty much have the fence covered. If they ever stop arguing, however." Lou rolled her eyes at that, as Amy continued. "Ty had a class to go to, but he had asked Caleb to pick up some new latches for the stall doors in the barn and the gates. He should be back soon, and Ty said he wasn't going to be long, he'll be done around lunchtime or so. The barn is in pretty good shape, a little dirty and needs a sweeping. The leaves need to be raked in the yard, before the grass gets cut."

"That, I can do all of that!" Georgie volunteered.

"Me too!" Katie repeated again, jumping up and down. She had brought her unicorn out of the car with her. It now dangled by one leg in Katie's hand, nearly brushing the ground.

"No, Katie, you're coming inside the house with Amy and me," Lou told the little girl. "Remember, you said you were going to help Amy." Katie didn't whine, but she didn't exactly jump up and down in excitement either; she just let Lou take her hand.

Amy grimaced, just a small one that Lou didn't see. However, she made a big deal of how much fun it would be for Katie's sake. "Let's get started, then," she said, taking Katie's other hand. The three of them started walking to the house. "I can't wait to see your ideas." That got the little girl chattering again.

Amy glanced back over her shoulder, mouthing 'help me' at anyone who was watching. Georgie laughed and shook her head. Then, Georgie turned and started to sprint away to sweep the barn, Peter going with her. Amy turned back around, as they climbed the porch, and Spartan let out a whinny from the round pen, wishing Amy good luck.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It was a little past one in the afternoon by the time Ty finally pulled his truck into the drive of Amy's and his new ranch. It had been a long and hard morning, starting with his one class today running a little late and ending with a surprise call from Scott. Ty hadn't really spoken to Scott since he had quit, but he knew that Scott wouldn't have called if it wasn't an emergency. And it was. Cassandra was away at a vet conference in Vancouver, and the new student Scott had hired in Ty's place was a complete waste. The kid barely knew what he was doing and now had stopped coming in to work, was Scott's words. That's where Ty came in. Scott still had a bunch of rounds to go on, and he couldn't leave the office unattended.

Ty accepted to watch the office in Scott's absence, because, to be honest, he missed it. It was great working for Bob, Ty loved working with the kind of animals you really wouldn't see in a vet office. The thrill of the rescue was also an amazing high, too. But he missed the everyday jobs at the vet office, also. The checkups, the shots, he even missed the smell of the antiseptic. The enclosures at Bob's place were all spaced out that it muffled the noise. In the office, there was always the sound of the animals calling out, walking in their cages, footsteps on the tile floor. When Scott had gotten back, one look at his face told Ty that he almost thought that it was how it was before, until they both realized that it wasn't.

Ty took his keys out of the ignition, and opened the truck door. The front door banged opened, and a rush of blonde hair flew out of the house. Ty barely made it five steps from his truck when Amy launched herself into his arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck, as his instinctively wrapped around her waist. He stumbled back a step from her impact, lifting her up from the ground a little bit. He buried his nose into her neck, breathing in her beautiful scent. He had missed her so much, even though it had only been a couple hours.

He set her back down and they pulled back a bit. "Save me," Amy whispered, dramatically. Before Ty could reply, however, Amy kissed him hard. Their lips crashed together like waves at the beach, rising and falling with each other. They sucked and bit, their tongues sliding together in the heat of their passion. They fell against the truck, Ty trapping her there so that she couldn't escape. Amy didn't want to escape. Warmth radiated out from her heart, spreading through her body, all the way down to her toes. She wanted to keep touching him and him her. She moved her hands along his chest, up his arms, and over his shoulders. She dug her fingernails into the fabric of his shirt, clinging to him, and molding her body to fit perfectly against his. Ty rubbed his hands up and down her back, eliciting tingles down her spine and she arched her back in time with them.

Somehow, they came back to themselves, probably for the need for air. Ty chuckled, leaning his forehead against hers, both of them breathing heavily. Ty spoke, leading off from what she last said. "Has it been that bad?" he asked her, his arms locking around her waist.

"Worse," Amy laughed, locking her own arms around his waist. "My sister and I are agreeing on everything, on the first choice." She hid her face in his chest, exaggerating her shock and fear.

Ty laughed with her. "That sounds horrible. I guess Lou is really starting to know what you like." he replied. Amy groaned, and Ty laughed harder. Then he looked around at the ranch. Jack and Tim were about halfway done with the paddock fence, and Peter and Caleb were replacing the lock on the round pen, with Spartan's help. Georgie was raking the leaves in the yard, her ponytail falling out and strands of her hair were sticking to her face. "How is everybody else doing?"

"Pretty good," Amy responded. They slid out of each other's embrace, but stayed within touching distance. "I believe the guys are almost done, Georgie has been amazing, and Lou took Katie home for a nap a half hour ago. I was in the house 'triple checking' everything I picked out, Lou's words. Everything has gone good, except my dad grumbled something about you not being here. Don't worry, I covered for you."

"Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from Tim," Ty sighed, running a hand through his hair. He leaned back against his truck, crossing his arms. "On a brighter note, I think I want to go back to work for Scott."

Amy's eyes widened from the sudden choice, leaning next to him. "Really?" she questioned, happy for him but also confused. "What brought this on?"

"Ah, it's a long story, I'll fill you in later," Ty told her. "Right now, let's marvel at how our ranch is turning into our home. At least, until you dad yells at me for not helping out,...again."

Amy laughed, and nodded. They started walking, their arms going around each other. They smiled and pointed out all of the notable, better changes they could see already in one day. Ty's eyes landed on Spartan sneaking grass through the fence, and something tickled at the back of his mind to remember.

Something important.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, how did you like it? I apologize if this chapter is shorter than the others, I will definitely try to make the others longer. Tell me what you thought of this chapter, of all the fluffiness. Please review, I love reading them all. :)


	7. Responsibilities and Revelations

**A/N:** Thank you for the lovely reviews; I adore them all. Now, we are counting down to all of the drama, so savor these nice chapters for as long as you can. There's not a lot of them left. On that happy note, lol, here's the chapter.

* * *

 **~ Chapter Six ~**

 **~~ Responsibilities and Revelations ~~**

The weekend came and went, and it was Monday again. Georgie finished her breakfast, and then went outside to do her morning chores. She was a little late today. She still had homework leftover from last night that she had to finish. Her English project about who she was, was taking up most of her time, and it was getting too late finish her math work. Especially when she still had her evening chores to do and she had wanted to exercise Phoenix and practice a little of her trick riding. She had finished almost everything she needed to do, and everything she wanted to do got pushed to today. Hopefully, she had time today.

Georgie dropped her backpack on the porch and changed into her boots. She left her school shoes by her bag, then she sprinted down the porch steps. Georgie jogged lightly toward the barn, where she could hear some of the horses inside restlessly waiting for their food. She entered the barn to the sound of stomping hooves and horses moving in their stalls. Phoenix let out a loud whinny when he saw his favorite girl, putting his head over the stall door.

"I know, I know, I'm late, boy," Georgie said to her horse, rubbing him between his eyes. "I'll get your feed." She went into Phoenix's stall, taking his feed bucket, and left the stall again. Then, she proceeded to go down the line of stalls, collecting all of the buckets. On her way to the feed trough, Moonstone stuck her head over her stall door, blowing softly on Georgie's shoulder as she passed by. "Hey, girl," she cooed to her. "I'll get your food, too. Do you want to go outside and feel the sun today?"

Moon listened to her intently, completely placid. Georgie smiled at her while rubbing her velvety muzzle, and leaned forward to place a kiss on her cheek.

"That horse has really taking a liking to you."

Georgie turned her head, seeing Jack walk in from the back of the barn. She grinned again, blushing self-consciously. She rubbed Moonstone's nose. "She's a very special horse," Georgie said. "I feel so bad for her, going blind. She didn't really know what happened. One day, she can see and the next,...nothing. I just want to show her that world is the same from how she once knew it, she'll just know it differently now." Georgie gazed at Moonstone with such love and affection, and Jack was touched, once again, at how big and pure Georgie's heart was.

Jack nodded. "Yes, she's lucky to have you, and Amy, taking care of her," he told his great granddaughter. He patted her shoulder. "Just remember that Moonstone will leaving soon, don't get too attached to her."

"I know," Georgie sighed. She gave Moon one last pat and went to finish filling up the buckets. She opened up the food trough and dug the scooper in the food to fill the first bucket. "I'm going to miss her so much." She dumped food into the rest of the buckets and then stood up straight, tossing the scooper back inside the trough, letting the lid fall shut. "Just once I'd like for one of the horses that come here for help to stay here, instead of leaving."

Georgie bent down to pick up the buckets, and Jack took half the buckets to help Georgie. They dispersed to hand out the feed buckets. "Well, that is the hardest part of letting go," Jack explained, still continuing the conversation. "No matter how you feel about it, you have to think of the other animal, or person. What they would want, what do they have waiting for them when they leave. If it's best for them, it will be the best thing for you, too."

They came out of the last stall each, meeting in the middle of the barn aisle. Jack put his arm around Georgie's shoulder comfortingly. "It will get easier," he reassured her.

Georgie nodded, giving Jack a one-armed hug. "I just have to think about Moonstone. Right?" she replied. They started taking slow steps to the barn door.

"That's right," Jack agreed, adjusting his stetson. "Now, I believe you only have a couple minutes to make it to the bus before you're late for school. You better get on going." He gave her a little nudge forward.

"But I still have chores to do," Georgie said, getting a little stressed out. "I still have to muck out the stalls. I was going to put Moonstone outside, and I want to ride Phoenix a little bit before school."

"Well, I can help you out before I have to watch Katie," Jack told her, and when he spoke next, his voice was louder and he projected it toward the barn loft. "And Caleb would gladly help if he wants to keep living here rent-free,...if he ever gets his butt out of bed." Georgie laughed. Jack turned back to the young girl in front of him, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Your first and foremost priority is your education."

"Alright," Georgie relented. "But I'm still going to make time for both Phoenix and Checkers later!" She started heading back to the house to change her shoes again and to get her backpack.

Jack watched her and then turned back to the barn, chuckling at Georgie's determination.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The familiar sounds of Maggie's Diner filled the air. The TV played quietly in the corner, glasses and dishes clanked against the tables and counter. Servers walked back and forth taking care of the customers and doing their jobs. Amy took a sip of her coffee, and smiled at her loving husband sitting across from her at the table, setting her mug back down on the tabletop. Ty smiled back at her, reaching across the table to take her hand.

"It's been a while since we've been able to do this," Amy commented, leaning her chin in her hand as she watched Ty lace their other hands together.

"What?" Ty murmured, bringing his eyes up to meet hers.

"Have breakfast together," Amy reminded him. "We've both been so busy lately, that we really haven't sat down together."

"I know," Ty nodded, and leaned back in his chair. "The only times we've had to talk was at night and by then we're usually tired. So, how is Moonstone? Is she getting any better?"

Amy nodded, "Definitely. She's coming a long way; I wasn't sure how she was going to be being blind and understanding me. But it was all a matter of her calming down and trusting me."

Ty bobbed his head, taking a sip from his coffee, listening intently to her, like he always did.

"Moon is making remarkable progress," Amy continued, "She even responds to Georgie, not just me. So, I don't think she'll have any problems transitioning back to her owners." Amy bit her lip and looked down at the table. "I told Georgie that I'll be taking Moonstone over to our ranch, but I think Moon will be ready to go back home before then."

"Do you think Georgie will okay with that?" Ty asked, setting his cup back down on the table.

Amy glanced back up at him, shrugging. "I don't know, she was pretty upset when I just told her about moving Moon to the ranch. She getting really attached to the mare," she answered.

"I'm sure Georgie will come to terms with it," Ty assured her. "Georgie has a big heart, but she knows what the right thing is. She'll learn to not get so attached and let the horse go, just like you did."

Amy nodded slowly in agreement. The waitress came back at that time, setting their breakfast plates down in front of them. "Enjoy," the young girl told them, her voice a sweet melody.

"Thank you," both Amy and Ty smiled up at her. The girl left to take care of another table of patrons, and Amy and Ty dug into their food. After a couple bites in silence, they continued their conversation. "So, have you talked to Scott yet?" Amy asked him. "Is he going to let you come back to the clinic?"

Ty bit off some eggs off of his fork, chewing quickly and thoroughly, swallowing. "Actually, I was going to stop by the clinic in person," he explained. "I thought it would be better if I did it all face to face."

"Yeah, that sounds good," Amy nodded, glancing down at her plate and biting off a piece of bacon.

They lapsed into another silence, silverware clanking against their dishes. Suddenly, Ty broke the silence when he remembered something. "Oh, I can't believe I forgot to tell you this again!" he blurted, mentally slapping himself for his forgetfulness. "I should have told you this last week when it happened, but I guess all of the stuff with the ranch made me push it aside."

"What is it?" Amy asked, finishing chewing and dabbing her mouth with her napkin and wiping off her fingers.

"Well, I don't know if you're going to believe this or not," Ty began, crumpling his own napkin between his hands and then leaned forward on the table. "Last week, Bob and I had a call about a coyote trapped in a fence. So, we go there and the lady tells us that we should get her neighbor's, whose fence was the one the coyote was trapped in, permission. He's not a very friendly, approachable person, but on his ranch, he had a horse that looked exactly like Spartan."

"Really?" Amy said, her eyebrows raised, intrigued.

"Yeah. The guy called him Spiridon and, I don't know, he almost seemed just like how Spartan was in the beginning," Ty continued, "He wasn't moving, just standing there extremely still, like really tense. He looked hyper aware and ready to bolt."

Amy grew thoughtful as she placed her fork down on the table. "Hmmm, what was his owner like toward him?" she murmured, quizzically.

"Intimidating, though he really didn't pay attention to the horse," Ty answered. "and when I told him about the similarities between your horse and his horse, he just sort of brushed it off. You'd expect some kind of amazed response, but no. In fact, he thought I was accusing him of stealing." Ty recalled the memory with ease, right down to Hank's defensive and aggressive stance.

"That's weird," Amy responded, thoughtfully. She hasn't seen Spiridon in person to know anything, so she couldn't really accuse the man of neglecting or abusing his horse. She itched to know more, but she couldn't go to the guy's ranch without a valid reason.

"But I knew you would think it was cool that Spartan had some unofficial twin out there. Even their names are kind of similar," Ty was saying, eating some toast.

"I do. I wish I could see him for myself," Amy mumbled.

Ty shook his head. "I'd hate for you to encounter Hank, Amy," he told her, with concern in his voice and face. "His neighbors say he's very volatile, and, from my brief interaction with him, they're not that far off."

Amy nodded understandingly, knowing that Ty was only protecting her and didn't want her to do anything reckless. However, as they finished their breakfast, the mysterious horse stayed in the back of Amy's mind.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Ok, Katie, up you go," Jack said, lifting his youngest great-granddaughter into the saddle on top of her paint pony, Pogey. Katie swung her leg over the side and thumped down on the saddle. Her smile was big as she grabbed the reins in both hands and flapped them wildly.

"Giddy up, Pogey!" Katie exclaimed, her legs kicking against the pony's side.

Jack quickly steadied Pogey before the pony could move, laughing at Katie's enthusiasm. "Hold on, there," he replied, "Let's make sure you are ready." Jack moved around Pogey, checking to make sure Katie's feet were in the stirrups and that the saddle was secure.

After asking if she was ready—to which Katie nodded vigorously-, Jack started leading Katie and Pogey around the riding ring. As he led her around, he let Katie practice the small lessons she had learned. They made a couple circuits around the ring. Jack let her steer Pogey all by herself once, where she almost turned the pony into the fence. She did better a second time, though. Going around the ring for a third time, Katie pointed to the jumps set up around the ring, saying that Amy and Georgie go over those.

"Are you going to jump them like the big girls, too?" Jack asked her.

"No, those scary," Katie answered, raising the reins in both hands and then lowering them again.

"Oh, I think you can do it," Jack chuckled. Then, they both looked up and over when they heard a truck pulling in Heartland's long driveway. Jack groaned inwardly as he recognized the truck. It was Tim.

Tim parked his truck, and jumped out, shutting the door behind him. After seeing no other vehicles around, he started walking over to the riding ring. Jack started walking over to the fence with Katie and the pony. "Well, to what do we owe this pleasure?" Jack snorted.

"Hi, grandpa!" Katie waved from atop her pony.

"Hey, Kit Kat, lookin' good," Tim waved back at her. He turned to Jack. "Is Lou in the house? I need to talk to her about some diner stuff?" He leaned his arms on the top rail of the fence, holding some papers in his hand.

"Well, actually, she and Peter had a doctor's appointment today," Jack explained to him. "That's why I'm watching Katie right now. I'm sure they'll be back soon."

"Alright, I'll just wait then," Tim replied. He started to turn away, at the same time that Jack and Katie started to return to the ride, and Tim turned back to them. "Uh, hold on, I don't know how I feel about you teaching my granddaughter how to ride."

"Oh, here we go," Jack muttered. He looked back at Tim, passing the lead rope from one hand to the other. "I am perfectly capable of taking Katie on a walk on her pony. She seems to be really enjoying it, as I see it." He motioned to the little girl. Katie patted Pogey, and then tried to lean down to give him a hug while trying to keep her balance.

"Well, she's my granddaughter. I should be one the doing these kind of things with her," Tim argued. He started walking to the gate, to let himself in. "And I bet you haven't even let her trot yet, not that at your age you'll be able to keep up with a pony." Tim chuckled quietly to himself.

Jack ignored the jab. He groaned out loud, throwing up his arms. "Why does everything always have to be competition with you?" he said back. "You can't just enjoy watching her ride. And, no, she hasn't tried to trot yet, but I don't think she wants to just yet. Katie is nice and happy at this pace."

The gate closed with a clink, and Tim walked up to them. "That's because she hasn't experienced a faster speed yet," he replied. He looked up at Katie. "Do you want to trot, Katie? It will be a tons of fun." Katie looked nervous, twining the reins between her fingers, but she didn't say no. Tim reached for the lead rope in Jack's hands. "There we go. I knew my granddaughter was a brave cowgirl."

Jack surrendered the rope to Tim, but he looked up at Katie, patting her leg. "You'll be fine, ok," Jack reassured her. "If you don't want to do it, you just say so. But keep doing what you've been doing, you riding so good."

Katie nodded, keeping a hard grip on the reins.

"C'mon, Katie," Tim smiled, turning Pogey and, with him, Katie, walking down the ring. "Ready?" After a small pause, Tim started to jog, urging Pogey into a trot. Katie let out a small whine, but that was the only sound she made. Then, she was bouncing in the saddle and moving along with her pony.

"Good job, Katie!" Jack called out to the little girl, to encourage her further. He backed up to the fence. As she rounded a corner, Jack saw a big smile on his great-granddaughter's face. The wind blew her blonde hair back underneath her helmet, and her laughter could be heard clear across the yard. It was then that Jack realized that Heartland's legacy and memory were in good hands.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The room was cream-colored, windowless, with photos and diagrams depicting the different stages of pregnancy hanging on the walls. Lou leaned back against the examination chair in the center of the room. Peter sat beside her on a stool, lacing their hands together. They gazed at the ultrasound machine monitor, where their son could be viewed resting inside of his mommy's belly. The doctor was able to fully confirm, this time, that they were having a baby boy. Last time, Dr. Brewer was only able to make an educated guess.

Lou couldn't stop smiling at the little miracle growing inside of her. "Aw, it looks like he's waving," she gushed, pointing to where the baby's hand was upraised. "Hi, baby."

Peter laughed, "He's very active. I don't think he's stop moving since this has started." He watched the screen with eyes glistening in awe, at his son.

"Well, there's going to be plenty of space to run, and you'll have two big sisters to chase after," Lou said, putting her free hand on her belly. On the screen, it appeared that the baby responded to Lou's touch, starting and moving his hands upward. She looked up and smiled at her husband.

Peter looked down at her. "You know, I thought that maybe I would be used to this after Katie," he admitted, softly. "but I don't think this will ever stop being truly amazing." Lou's smile got bigger, and Peter leaned down, capturing her lips in a soft, gentle kiss. She hooked her hand around his neck, keeping him close to her.

The door began to open, and the kissed ended. Their foreheads touched, as Peter stroked her cheek with his fingertips. "I love you," he whispered, "and I think you are amazing for being able to do this."

"Love you, too," Lou whispered back to him. They pulled apart and settled back into their appropriate seating apparatuses, as Dr. Maggie Brewer entered into the room again.

The doctor smiled at the happy couple, albeit a little grimly. "Sorry about that," she said, "I just needed to refer on something."

"That's ok," Lou replied, "Is everything okay?"

The doctor couldn't lie to them. She looked at them equally, sympathetically. "Well, something came up on the ultrasound that didn't show up last time," Dr. Brewer started to explained. Lou and Peter glanced at each other with immediate concern written on their faces. Lou squeezed Peter's hand tighter, and they let the doctor go on. "It appears that the baby has developed a heart defect."

Lou and Peter gaped, eyes widening in surprise. Lou put her hand to her mouth, willing herself to be strong for her baby. "What?" was what she finally managed to say.

Peter found a more coherent thought. "How did this happen?" he asked, his thumb running soothingly over the back of Lou's hand in an effort to keep her calm.

"Birth defects can happen in a variety of different ways," Dr. Brewer explained. "In your case, there is a low amount of amniotic fluid in the placenta. That has caused everything to work harder to give the baby all the nutrients he needs, and, therefore, his heart is pumping and working a lot faster than normal. That has caused a hole to form in his heart." She paused to let them digest this news.

Lou stumbled to find the right words. "So,...um,...what does this mean?" she stammered. "Is he..." She couldn't bring herself to finish that last sentence. She pressed her hand against her mouth again. Peter slid his arm around her, letting her lean into him, his hand running up and down her arm.

"Well, I can tell you that this is treatable and the baby is not in danger, right now," Dr. Brewer tried to reassure them. "Despite the slow intake of nutrients, the baby is right on par with his development in this stage of the pregnancy. But I'm going to monitor you and the baby closely, in case something suddenly pops up. To do that, I'm going to recommend two appointments a month from here on out." Lou and Peter nodded in agreement. "There's also the risk of premature labor, as with all high risk pregnancies. So, just take it easy and avoid any stressful situations."

An eerie quietness descended after Dr. Brewer finished talking. Neither one of them really knew what to say. They both looked over at the ultrasound machine, where the image of their son seemed to be frozen on the screen. Like a moment caught in frame, to be preserved in time as a moment of happiness and innocence. How is it possible that this little tiny miracle now seemed to have a clock ticking above his head.

"Any questions?" Dr. Brewer asked, softly.

Lou shook her head, turning her head to the wall to blink back the tears threatening to pour down her face.

Peter shook his head, also. "No, thanks," he replied, thanking the doctor for her help.

The appointment was over after that, and Dr. Brewer began cleaning up and putting the equipment away. Peter helped Lou down off of the chair, and they started to leave the examination room, thanking the doctor one more time. They were quiet as they wound their way through the office to the exit. The doors came up, with the view of the outside being able to be seen through them. The sky was blue and the sun shone brightly across the parking lot. Big, puffy, white clouds filled the sky, the leaves stirred rhythmically in the trees with the wind, and the whole thing was a like a storybook. The day was picturesque, but it was completely oblivious to the problems and turmoil that was going on within it.

The door swung shut behind them in a quiet whoosh, as they stepped outside. Lou suddenly froze, unable to take another step forward. Peter stopped automatically, too, his hand resting on the small of her back in a concerned gesture. Her eyes flicked to him out of the corner of her eye for just a second and then she covered her face with her hands, her shoulders starting to shake from her silent sobs. Peter moved around to in front her, his hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, shhhh, it's all going to be alright," Peter whispered, soothingly. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest and his lips brushing her temple. Lou's own arms wrapped around him, her hands grabbing onto his coat tightly, to hold on to something substantial.

"We are _all_ going to be okay."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Bye, Georgie!"

Georgie stood up and sidestepped out of her seat on the bus, into the aisle. She waved to her friends as she shouldered her book bag. From the seat across the aisle, Stephen told her a quiet goodbye with a shy smile. Georgie smiled back at him and gave him a wave goodbye. Then, she started walking up the aisle to the front of the bus. She skipped down the steps, and landed on the dirt in front of the Heartland sign at the top of the driveway. Georgie smiled, as an amazing thrill hummed through her body every single day when she got off the bus. Looking up and seeing that sign, knowing that Heartland is and will always be her home.

She started down the driveway at a light jog, anxious. Horses grazed on either side of her inside the paddocks and the familiar sounds of the ranch filled her ears. As she grew closer, she started to make out movement in the round pen. Her smile broadened and she lengthened her stride, breaking into a run. However, knowing better, Georgie slowed down as she neared the pen.

Amy was inside the round pen with Moonstone. The mare stood quietly with a saddle pad on her back, and Amy walked over to her carefully, carrying a saddle. Georgie dropped her bag, abandoned, on the ground and climbed onto the fence so that she could see better. Moonstone perked up at the sound of someone new around, turning her head.

"Are you going to ride her?" Georgie asked, resting her chin on her crossed arms.

"Well, that's the plan," Amy told her, letting Moon smell and get used to the saddle again. "She's doing really good so far, but I don't want to push her if she's not ready."

Georgie was nearly bouncing with anticipation. She couldn't help but ask. "Do you think she'd let me ride her, too?"

"I don't know," Amy paused, sliding the saddle gently onto Moonstone's back. Then, she turned back to Georgie, resting her arm across the horse's back. "but don't you have homework to do?"

Georgie waved it off. "I only have a little bit," she said, "I'm going to go inside and change. Don't put her away until I get back!" She jumped down from the fence, grabbed her bag by the strap, and ran to the house.

Amy laughed and shook her head, laughing and rolling her eyes at her niece. Then, she turned her attention back to Moonstone, cooing to the mare softly. Moon nickered to her quietly in return, nuzzling her hand.

The thirteen year old pounded up the porch steps and basically rocketed through the front door. Lou and Peter were in the kitchen, sitting at the table. They were talking in low voices. They turned, however, at their daughter's loud entrance. They both smiled at her greeting her home from school, at the same time that Katie ran into the kitchen, excitedly.

"Georgie's home!" the little girl exclaimed, throwing herself at her big sister.

Georgie wrapped her up in a big hug, spinning her around. "Hi, Katie!" she greeted back. She set Katie down, turning to her parents. "Amy is tacking up Moonstone for the first time, and she said I could ride her. I'm going to go get changed now." She started to head for her room.

"Uh, actually," Lou stopped her, standing up with a little help from Peter. "You have to get your homework done first. You can't rush on it in the morning again, five minutes before the bus."

"What?! That's not fair!" Georgie exclaimed, turning around with a shocked expression on her face. "I only have a little bit, and Amy is working with Moonstone now."

"I'm sorry, but school is your responsibility," Lou told her, apologetically. "You have to take it seriously, you can't neglect it."

"But I do..." she pouted, crossing her arms. Then, seeing that she wasn't going to get her way, Georgie spun around and stomped her way out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Katie stared after her, dumbfounded.

Lou sighed, turning back around, crossing her arms. "I really hate being the bad guy with her," she said, sitting back down.

"I'll go talk to her," Peter offered, patting her leg. He stood up and gave her a peck on the cheek, as she smiled at him thankfully. He stroked Katie's head as he passed by her on his way to go after Georgie.

When they were alone, Katie walked up to Lou, leaning against her. Katie held up her arms. "What's wrong with her?" she asked, innocently. Lou chuckled, leaning over to give her youngest daughter a hug that Katie returned.

Upstairs, Peter knocked on Georgie's open bedroom door. The girl was lying across her bed on her stomach, pouting. She heard Peter come in, and she listlessly pulled her book and notebook out of her bag. "Don't worry, I'm getting started right now," she grumbled. She dropped the books onto her bed, then dropped her chin in her hand.

"I know you are frustrated and disappointed," Peter began, and he lowered himself down on the bed beside his daughter. "but your mom is right."

Georgie didn't say anything.

"But maybe it was a little bit unfair," Peter admitted. Georgie did look at him then. "We know how much you love working with the horses with Amy, especially Moonstone. But, listen, we weren't sure if we going to tell you or not, but I think you're old enough."

"What is it?" Georgie asked, listening.

"Today, the doctor told us that the baby has a small problem with his heart," Peter explained to her.

"Oh no," Georgie gasped, "Is he going to be okay?"

"Yeah, the doctor said it can be fixed after he's born, but Lou is stressing about it a little bit when she needs to be staying absolutely calm and worry-free."

Georgie's demeanor completely changed after that. She was no longer sullen as she sat up, Peter following suit a beat later. "Don't worry, I won't cause anymore stress for her," Georgie suggested. "I'll play with Katie more, keep her nice and quiet."

Peter smiled proudly at her. "I know you will," he said. "Now, if you promise to work on your homework straight after dinner, you can go out with Amy right now. I'll talk to Lou." Georgie's face lit up like a bunch of fireworks.

"Really?" she questioned. Peter nodded. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Then, she threw her arms around her father, hugging him tightly. Georgie grew pensive again. "I love you," she whispered, against his shoulder. "I really do hope the baby is safe and sound."

Peter hugged her back just as tightly, one hand cupping the back of her head. "I love you, too," he murmured back to her, wishing for the same thing.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The day had been long and hard, Amy thought as she climbed into bed that night. She pulled the blankets over her lap as she watched her husband clear the rest of the dinner dishes. She watched him contentedly, but her mind was wandering. Moonstone had done great today, allowing Amy to not only get on her but to walk around the ring as well. The mare was so good, and her friendly personality was finally starting to show. Unfortunately, Georgie didn't get to ride her like she had wanted. Georgie was disappointed, but Amy had said that Moon had look too tired to continue for the day. Definitely the next time Georgie could ride her, Amy promised. From Moonstone, Amy's mind wandered to another horse. She hadn't met this one, but she felt drawn to him nonetheless.

Ty slid into bed beside her, kissing her on the cheek. Consequently, he startled her out of her reverie. "Sorry. What were you thinking of?" he asked her, propping himself up on his pillow, arm behind his head.

"Oh, um, that horse you told me about this morning," Amy replied, laying down next to him. "Spiridon. I can't help but think that there's something about him..." She trailed off, wonderingly.

"Yeah, but remember what I told you," Ty reminded her. "I don't want you to get mixed up with Hank Caldwell." He said the name with gruffness.

"I know,..." Amy sighed. "...I can't help it..." She added in a whisper. Ty smiled at her and leaned closer, kissing her. He pulled her down deeper in the bed, his hands roaming over her body and he canvased her with kisses. Amy melted into him, their love pouring over each other in waves, distracting her for just a moment or two.

Then, Ty turned over and went to sleep, leaving Amy's mind to gallop to another place where a horse stood in fear and ached to be rescued.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, what did you think? I hope this long chapter made up for the long wait. I hope you all liked it. Please tell me what you thought about it, in a review. :)


	8. Uncharted Waters

**A/N:** I probably sound like a broken record all the time, but I do want to thank everybody for reading and reviewing every chapter. I just want to make sure you all know how appreciated you all are. Here is the next chapter; hope you all enjoy it. :)

* * *

 **~ Chapter Seven ~**

 **~~ Uncharted Waters ~~**

" _The lunch today is macaroni and beet salad, the alternative is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Due to weather conditions, the student council meeting will be held today in the cafeteria, instead of the meeting room, at 3:00p.m."_ Olivia's voice filtered through the intercom. As a student adviser, it was part of her job to read the morning announcements every morning. _"In sports news, the girls' soccer team defeated the Calgary Cougars 8-1. Go Phantoms! The boys' tennis match has been canceled, and the boys' and girls' soccer teams, boy's baseball team, and the girls' lacrosse team will be practicing today. The Equestrian club will not be meeting today. Lastly, the time to send in your money for your school sweatshirts/jackets is nearly closed. Return your envelopes to your homeroom teachers by Friday. That is the end of the morning announcements, everybody have a fantastic day!"_

Georgie only half listened to the announcements, as she sat in her homeroom classroom. She rolled her eyes at Olivia's exaggerated enthusiasm. She was bored as she leaned her cheek against her fist and she doodled in the corner of her open notebook. It had started off as just a scribble, until it started to morph into a horse's head. She had thought she was automatically drawing Phoenix, but as she continued to stare at it, it began to look like another horse. Not quite Spartan, but...more wild. Her pencil stilled from shading it in, her heart doing a little pitter-patter in her chest.

Stephen turned around in his desk in front of her in the row. "So, um, you don't have equestrian club today, what are you going to do with the free time?" he asked her, in that shy way of his.

Georgie snapped herself back to reality, closing her notebook on a horse she can't save. She looked up and focused on her friend, folding her arms over her desk. She bit her lip, guiltily. "Actually, I haven't really been going to equestrian club," Georgie admitted. "My parents don't know that I haven't been going, and I don't want them to know."

"Why haven't you been going?" Stephen asked her.

"Well, first, I've been really, _really_ busy," Georgie explained, "and, second, Olivia has turned it into some cutesy, competition. Whose horse is better? Who looks better riding? Who has more ribbons?" She shook her head, sighing. "That's not why I joined the club."

Stephen nodded faintly. Georgie shrugged, looking toward the front of the classroom. Stephen remained facing her, wetting his lips and his mind rehearsing a speech. He opened his mouth to say something, but it took a couple seconds before he actually found the words. "So, um, a bunch of kids are planning a trip to the movies on Friday to see _Inside Out_ ," Stephen finally said. "I was-"

"Oh, really," Georgie unintentionally cut in, returning her gaze back to her friend. Her face changed into that easy-going smile of hers. "Sounds like fun."

"Yeah," Stephen agreed, smiling a little. "Um,...I was going to go, too, and I wondered if you wanted to go, too?" He couldn't hold her gaze and he looked down as he finished the question.

Georgie wasn't expecting this, so she was quiet for a couple minutes. "Well, it does sound like a funny movie, but I have a lot of chores every day," she started to decline. "and I'd have to ask my parents for permission to go."

"C'mon, Georgie, I'm sure they'll let you go," Stephen told her. "You work really hard, and you hardly have any fun."

Georgie's mouth dropped open, as she laughed. "Hey, riding is fun," she admonished, in good way.

Stephen laughed, too. "I know. You know what I mean," he replied.

"Yeah, I know," Georgie relented, biting her lip, laying her hands on top of one another on her desk, loosely. "Ok, I'll ask them when I get home today." She grinned at him and he grinned back at her, sealing the deal.

The bell rang dismissing them to their first period class. Stephen turned back around and picked up his backpack. Then, he stood up, beginning to walk to the door of the classroom. Georgie picked up her notebook and her book bag, putting the strap onto her shoulder. She stood up as Stephen was walking out of the classroom. It was then that she wondered if she had just accepted to her first date, or not.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"What animal is this?"

"...cow!"

"Good job! What sound does a cow make?"

"MOOOOOOO!"

Lou followed the sound of the voices, leading her to her daughter's bedroom. She was quiet as she approached, no one knew she was there. She smiled upon the scene she encountered inside the room. She leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms, content to just stay and watch. Peter sat on the floor with Katie, helping her do a farm animal puzzle. The sixteen pieces were spread out over the floor, the only connected pieces were the separate animals. Apparently, kids puzzles weren't easy for everyone.

"What's this?" Katie asked, holding up another piece of the puzzle.

Peter took it, looking at it closely. "I think it's part of the fence," he said, and tried to fit it into the puzzle on the floor.

"No, daddy," Katie told him, taking the piece back. "That goes here, that's the barn."

Lou couldn't help herself from joining in. She laughed, "Yeah, daddy, don't you know what a barn looks like."

"Okay," Peter laughed at himself, watching his daughter put the piece in the correct spot, smacking it in.

Right after that was when Katie got bored, like most kids her age. She climbed to her feet. "All done," the little girl announced. "Time for dress-up!"

"And that's where daddy stops," Peter said, picking up the abandoned puzzle and dumping it back inside the box. He stood back up with the puzzle box in his hands.

"Ohhh, you're not going to dress up like a pretty fairy or a princess, with your daughter," Lou joked, smirking, as she took a couple steps into the room. Peter shook his head at her, laughing. She glanced over his shoulder. "I think she was really looking forward to it."

Peter turned around to see Katie standing next to her dress-up box, holding a pink fuzzy boa stretched between both hands. She stood there with a rejected look on her face. "Pleeeease!" Katie begged.

Peter looked over at Lou, helplessly, who shrugged in return. He sighed quietly, and walked closer to Katie, kneeling back down to the floor. "Ok, but just the boa," he agreed. Katie smiled gleefully and stepped closer to wrap the boa twice around his neck. A couple of the feathers got stuck in his mouth, but it was the price to be paid for making his daughter happy. He stood back up when Katie turned back to the bin. When Peter turned back to Lou, she was cupping her hand over her mouth, trying to hide her laughter.

Before he could say anything, Katie pulled out another frilly item. "And this!" she exclaimed, holding a pair of yellow fairy wings up in the air.

"Uh, no, Katie-cat, I don't think they are going to fit," he told her, instead of telling her that he didn't want to wear the wings.

However, Lou stepped forward and took the wings from her daughter, holding them out to her husband. "Oh, but I think they would look so cute on you," she giggled.

Peter shook his head at her smilingly, putting his hands on hers and lowering the wings. Her laugh turned into a smile as their bodies moved closer to one another. Faintly, the sound of the front door opening and closing could be heard, and then there was movement in the kitchen. They were too wrapped up in each other to take notice of it, though.

"Have I told you lately how happy I am that you took that job closer to home?" Lou murmured, her eyes half closed. Their noses brushed against each other in feather light kisses.

"Thank you for making it an easy choice," Peter whispered back. Lou smiled as the kiss descended. It was soft and light, hot and sultry.

"Help!" Katie yelped. She had taken the fairy wings back and had tried to put them on herself. Instead, she got herself and the wings all twisted up.

"Uh oh, what happened?" Lou cooed, kneeling down to help her daughter.

Right around then, there were footsteps in the hall and then Georgie appeared in the doorway. Her book bag was slung over her shoulder, and she carried a glass of milk in her hand. "Oh, here you are," Georgie said, stopping abruptly, especially when she saw Peter. She hid a smile by biting her lip."Never mind. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Georgie, what do you need?" Peter told her, moving closer to the thirteen year old with his hands on his hips. He took the boa off from around his neck, self-consciously.

"Is everything okay?" Lou added. With the wings now untangled, she held the wings out for Katie to easily slip her arms into. She glanced over at Georgie.

Georgie licked her lips, suddenly appearing nervous. She placed her other hand on the glass, too. "Well, a bunch of kids are going to the movies on Friday, and...Stephen asked I wanted to go, too."

Lou stood back up, her hand on her belly and her mouth open in joyful surprise. "He asked you out on a date?!" she repeated, sweetly. She shot Peter a secretive, triumphant look.

"...I guess...," Georgie answered, slowly. "So, can I go?" She looked back and forth between her parents.

"Of course-" Lou started to say, her eyes growing misty. It was most likely from the pregnancy hormones, but this was also the next big step in Georgie's life.

"-of course, we'll talk about it, and talk to you later about it," Peter interrupted, stepping forward and putting his hand out before Lou could finish. Lou shot him a curious glance.

"Ok," Georgie shrugged. "I'm going to go to my room and get a start on my homework." She added a glance to Peter when she spoke the latter. Lou caught the silent exchange curiously, but didn't comment on it. Georgie left, and a minute later, heard her going up the stairs.

Lou turned to husband with a excited gasp. "Did you hear that? Georgie has her first date," she gossiped, nearly squealing with joy. "I wonder what she's going to wear..." She flinched as she walked out to the hall. "...I should probably help her with that."

Peter quickly followed after her. "Whoa, whoa, we're not actually going to let her go, are we?" he questioned, catching up to her and taking her arm. "She's way too young."

"What? She's thirteen, that's the age of group dating," Lou told him. "Georgie was going to start dating sooner or later. Frankly, I'm surprised it's now."

"Really? You're okay with this?" Peter responded back. "I thought we had a couple more years before this, like college." He ran his hand through his hair.

"Peter, don't be ridiculous, and don't be one of those overprotective, controlling dads, who locks their daughter up and throws away the key," Lou said, tilting her head and trying not to laugh at him. "She's growing up. Here, I'll tell you that the most of what's probably going to happen is that he might try to hold her hand." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh, that's all that's going to happen in a _dark_ movie theater. I feel much better now," Peter sighed. He ran his hands down his face, giving in. "I guess she can go on this one date."

Lou smiled, stepping closer and putting her hands on both sides of his face. "I love you," she told him, and he smiled back at her. Then, she turned his face so that he was looking in the open bedroom they had just left. Katie was twirling around in a fairy princess gown. "And you still have plenty time before this one grows up."

Reassured, he smiled back at her one more time, and planted a kiss on her lips. "C'mon, let's go tell Georgie that she can go on the...date.. and that _I'll_ be driving her," Peter replied. As they turned toward the stairs, their arms slipped around each other automatically and lovingly.

Lou grinned and shook her head at him, but, internally, she reveled in his protectiveness for their daughters.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Amy turned onto a street and slowed down her speed, keeping an eye on both sides of the road. She glanced down at the papers on the seat beside her, checking the directions. She had researched for the address she was looking for, and, luckily, there was one address close enough that it had to be it. Amy wasn't really sure what she doing. All she knew was that she woke up this morning with a need to quell this feeling of unrest inside of her.

Suddenly, up ahead on the right side of the street, there was a faded green mailbox with big, black numbers on it. 708, the house she was looking for. The truck crept closer, and then she pulled the truck off to the side of the road, turning off the engine. She leaned back against the seat, studying the property. Amy knew that she had promised Ty that she wouldn't do anything dangerous, but she felt deep in her soul that she just could not do anything. She needed to see for herself.

She looked out at the property, seeing the long curving driveway and the tall yellow grass on either side of it. The one story ranch house was visible from the street and it was a bit of an eyesore. Amy couldn't see anything else beyond that, but she knew somewhere on this ranch was Spiridon. She just didn't know how she was going to reach him.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

Amy jumped at the tapping sound on the driver's side window. An old man, bundled up for colder weather, stood at her door with an auburn Chow Chow on a leash. Amy breathed a short sigh of relief and rolled down her window. The old man didn't wait for any pleasantries.

"You're not from this neighborhood, are you, young lady?" the old man questioned, raspy.

Amy smiled, reassuringly. "No, I'm not. I was just-"

"Because if you were, you'd know better than sit out front of this here ranch," the old man warned.

"Why?" Amy asked, narrowing her eyes out of curiosity. She wanted to know more.

"Hank Caldwell is a bad man, very dangerous," he warned her again. "No talking to that man, you just get threats. A pretty face like yours won't stop him."

A cold spike of fear wrapped around her heart and she was sure it showed on her face, but it wasn't for her own well being. "Well, uh, thank you," Amy stammered. "I'll get moving right away."

The old man nodded at her, and then finished crossing the street with his dog. Amy swallowed, and turned back to Hank Caldwell's ranch. She paused for a second, before she turned the key in the ignition and the truck rumbled to life. Right before she pulled away, though, Amy heard the distinct sound of a whip and then a horse's terrible whinny. And the sound of it tore through her worse than any fear could.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, did you guys like it? Georgie is starting to date, and Amy went to the ranch against Ty's wishes. What did you all think? Now, this was the last fluffy chapter. Everything will be getting bumpy from here on out. Get ready for the ride, and don't forget to review. :)


	9. Group Date

**A/N:** Thank you to everybody who read, reviewed, favorited, and followed! I am so sorry for the long wait, I guess time got away from me. Here's the next chapter!

* * *

 **~ Chapter Eight ~**

 **~~ Group Date ~~**

The car pulled up outside the movie theater on Friday night. Georgie looked out the car window, spotting her friends standing by the entrance to the theater. They hadn't seen her yet; too busy talking to take notice. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief, turning away from the window. She leaned her head back against the seat and wiped her sweaty palms against the black skinny jeans she had opted to wear instead of the skirt that was Lou's first choice for her. She also wore a long-sleeved red and black striped sweater, and a nice pair of black lace up boots. Georgie held her jacket tightly in her lap, along with a change purse that also held her cell phone.

Peter put the car in park, the automatic locking mechanism clicking as the doors unlocked instantly. "Ok, here we are, have fun," he announced, sitting back and turning to his daughter. "Do you have extra money for snacks?"

Georgie nodded faintly, turning to look out the window. "Yeah,..." she mumbled. Her friends were off to the side of the movie theater doors, gathered in a tight cluster. Georgie didn't get out of the car. Stephen was standing in the group, and he happened to glance over his shoulder and spotted her sitting in the car. He faced the car fully, waving her over shyly. Georgie turned away, hunkering down in the seat.

"Georgie?" Peter questioned her. "What's wrong?"

Georgie was silent for a couple seconds, contemplatively. "Why do boys and girls have to change?" she finally sighed. "I mean, everything was fine and perfect the way it was, and now it's all just so weird and kind of awkward." She looked down at her lap, fiddling with her fingers.

"Well, that's kind of part growing up," Peter started to tell her. He turned more to face his daughter, putting his arm on the back of the seat. "Sometimes when you know a person for a while, you start to see them differently and notice things about them that you never did before. Special things."

"What if I don't want things to change?" Georgie asked, quietly, looking up at him and her hair flipped over her shoulder as she did.

A heartbeat passed before Peter spoke. "I think that's for you to decide," he told her, gently. "Whether things stay exactly how they are or if you try something new, that is up to you to choose. You have a good heart, Georgie, very pure and honest. I think if you look deep inside, you'll know what to do."

Georgie nodded slowly, casting her eyes downward again. She fiddled with her jacket, and then she nodded more sure this time. "Thanks," she said. Georgie looked up and flashed him an impish grin. "I'll try, but I think I'll still make some mistakes, though."

"That's okay," Peter grinned back at her, patting her shoulder. "We'll always be here for you when you mess up, big or small." He pulled her into a hug and she wrapped her arms around him, too. He held onto her, stroking her hair, the young strong-willed, scared girl who burst upon their lives two years ago. A minute later, the hug dissipated. "Ok, I think I embarrassed you enough in front of your friends," Peter joked, chuckling. "Go on and have fun. And, remember, don't let any boy convince you to do something you're not ready for."

Georgie giggled, "Ok." She started to move to get out of the car.

"I'll pick you up later after the movie," Peter reminded him.

"Oh, Stephen said his mom will drop me off after," Georgie told him. Peter nodded, and watched her gather her stuff and open the car door. A brisk, chilly wind blew through the car. Georgie gave him one last smile as she left the car. Peter waved at her, seeing an older version of that girl, no longer scared, but more surer in her life.

Georgie shut the car door behind her, pulling on her jacket against the chilly evening air and started walking over to her friends. She heard Peter drive away as she walked. Stephen greeted her quietly as she approached the group. "You look nice," Stephen complimented her, softly.

Georgie smiled self-consciously back at him. "Thanks," she said shyly back. "You do, too." And she really did mean it. He was wearing a navy blue and white striped polo shirt and dark denim jeans. His coat was unzipped, and he stuffed his hands into his coat pockets just for something to do out of nerves. They lapsed into a silence, neither one knowing what to say next.

"Good. We're almost all here," Gus said, to the small group.

"Who else is missing?" Georgie questioned, looking around. She only saw a loud group of little kids with their parents, and then a teen couple holding hands, looking all lovey-dovey, enter the theater. She quickly glanced away from the couple, but she found Stephen's gaze instead. She blushed and looked away again.

It was Abigail who answered, looking down the sidewalk. "Them," the other girl told her, pointing. Georgie turned her head. "Olivia and Cyrus." The duo were walking arm and arm down the sidewalk, toward the group.

"Finally," Gus muttered, looking away from his watch. Georgie heard him, but she just assumed he was anxious to see the movie. "Are we ready?" he asked everybody, louder.

"Of course, but we're getting more than one popcorn right?" Olivia asked, still holding Cyrus' arm. "Because I don't eat butter on my popcorn, too greasy." She held her hand up, rubbing her fingers like she was rubbing off imaginary grease.

"Actually,..we're not seeing a movie tonight," Gus announced, spreading his hands in a dramatic gesture and was unable to stifle his grand smile any more. Everybody looked over at him in shock, except for Abigail.

"Wait, what?" Georgie questioned, being the one to speak first. "We are seeing a movie; that's what we planned, that's what I told my parents."

Gus was already shaking his head before she finished speaking. "That's what Abby and I decided to tell you guys to tell your parents," he explained. "If I told you what we were really doing, than some of you might have chickened out or your parents never would have let you come."

Olivia took a step forward with her haughty attitude, crossing her arms and leaning on her hip. "Don't tell me I wasted my allowance on a brand new outfit to be tricked on something," she warned. "Where are we going then?"

Gus looked positively gleeful as he rubbed his hands together, getting ready to reveal his secret. "We are going on an unofficial set tour!" he announced. His declaration was met with surprised silence, as the others tried to figure out what he was talking about.

"What are you talking about?" Georgie asked, furrowing her brows.

"C'mon, guys, I know you all want to see Man vs. Horse live and in person," Gus persuaded them. "Just imagine how cool it will be to actually be stand on that same ground. _Meet the horse_." The boy looked pointedly at Georgie when he spoke the latter.

Georgie did her best to tamp down the urge to see Spiridon. "But it's nearly dark," she argued. "No one goes on 'set tours' this late. What you are talking about is trespassing, it's illegal."

"It's not trespassing if you don't get caught," Gus replied, shooting everybody a cocky grin. Then, he looked at everybody in the group in turn. "And we're not going to get caught."

Georgie gaped that he was really thinking about doing this, but Olivia was the one who exploded first. "Are you kidding me?" the other girl snapped. "I didn't come here tonight to traipse around outside. This is ridiculous. I came here to see a movie with my boyfriend."

"Aw, c'mon, Liv, I think it would cool," Cyrus contradicted, throwing his arm around Olivia's shoulder. She smiled shyly and giggled, turning her face into her shoulder.

"I guess, maybe for a minute," Olivia agreed, smiling up at Cyrus. "I'm not really dressed for sightseeing."

"Yes!" Gus exclaimed, cheering. He looked over at Georgie and Stephen. "What about you two? You in?"

"You guys can't seriously be thinking about doing this," Georgie gaped. "You could get into some big trouble. What if you break something or spook Spiridon?"

"So, you're not coming?" Gus asked. Everything Georgie said went in one ear and out the other. "That's fine. You'll just be the two losers who missed the opportunity of a lifetime."

"No, we'll be the only two who don't get in major trouble for doing something illegal," Stephen said back, quietly but certainly, siding with Georgie. He flashed her a small smile and she grinned back at him in thankful relief.

Gus shrugged nonchalantly. "Let's go, guys, before it gets too late," he motioned to the other kids. They all turned and started leaving, walking down the sidewalk. Georgie and Stephen were left there by themselves. Georgie stared after the other kids wistfully, wishing she could have convinced them not to go.

"So, um, do want to see the movie that we had told our parents we were seeing?" Stephen asked her, after a few quiet minutes.

"Yeah,..." Georgie mumbled, then she dragged her eyes away from her headed-for-trouble friends and looked at Stephen. "Yeah, sure."

Stephen nodded, then they started walking to the movie theater. Georgie glanced over her shoulder, looking back again. She didn't realize that Stephen was holding the door open for her, until he said her name a second time. "Georgie." he said. "Are you okay?"

Georgie shook herself back to reality. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine," she answered. She started to walk through the open door, but then she stopped again. She bit her lip, hesitatingly. Stephen looked at her curiously, saying her name again. Georgie turned back to him, determinedly. "Stephen, we can't let them go," she stated, firmly. "We have to follow them and try to stop them. We can't let them get into trouble."

Stephen thought about it for a minute, but then he agreed with her. "Okay," he replied, dropping his hand and letting the theater door swing slowly closed. "but should we call someone first, maybe one of our parents?"

"I don't think we have time. They already have a head start on us," Georgie declined. "Besides, I don't think they need to know. We'll stop them before anything can happen." She took Stephen's arm and they began to sprint down the sidewalk where their other friends had gone. All the while, Stephen had a bad feeling unsettling in his stomach.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Dusk was beginning to float into darkness by the time the kids found themselves on a quiet street. Everything had a bluish tint as they walked along the side of the road. Being out in the open on a quiet street was very conspicuous, but, luckily, there had been hardly any cars that passed by to look twice at them. Georgie and Stephen tried vigorously and fruitlessly to try to stop their friends, but Gus kept on leading the charge without budging in his decision. The other kids were willing to follow him, too. Then, Gus stopped suddenly and turned around to face the others.

"Ok, the ranch is just on the other side of these woods," Gus explained, pointing to the forest of trees on his right. His excitement was pouring off of him; there was no convincing him not to now. "All we have to do is cross in here. I looked it up earlier during homeroom." He was all too proud of himself, bragging.

"Hold on a hot second!" Olivia burst out, stepping to the center of the group, flourishing her arms. "I did not come all this way to trek through the disgusting woods. It's unacceptable."

"And illegal," Georgie added, stepping forward, too. "You're sneaking into someone's ranch without their permission, at night."

"Oh, I could care less about that," Olivia flicked her hair, looking at Georgie, crossing her arms. "These are brand new shoes." She motioned down at her boots.

Georgie rolled her eyes, but she didn't dignify that with a response. "C'mon, Gus, look at yourself," she still tried to reason. "You are acting like an obsessed person."

"I am looking at myself," Gus argued. "I'm seeing myself taking a selfie on that set and showing it around school. Maybe I'll even take a souvenir." He shrugged like he didn't just talk so casually about trespassing and stealing.

"We are going to be the most popular kids at school!" Abigail squealed, giddily.

Georgie sighed in frustration. None of the others were getting the real danger of this; they were only really caring about the popularity. Gus, Abigail, Cyrus, and even Olivia, even though she was worried about her shoes she was more concerned about being popular, all started walking into the woods. Georgie threw up her arms into the air.

"This is ridiculous! I don't know what else to do!" Georgie exasperated, to Stephen, who was the only other person left still standing there. She swung her arm out at the rest of her friends, pointing. "They're all being stupid!"

Stephen had his hands in his jeans pockets, and he stepped forward a couple of steps. "Maybe we should just go back to the movie theater and call our parents," he shrugged, not knowing what else to say or do. "I don't think we can do anything else. We don't have any rope where we could tackle them and tie them up." He tried for a joke, chuckling lightly.

Georgie looked over at her true friend, and realized that he was right. There was nothing else they could do to stop the other kids. They were just going to have to learn things the hard way, if they get caught. Physical restraint wouldn't do any good; it would probably just start a fight. She started to nod her head, to agree with him, when she glanced back at the woods. The other kids were just shadows now and leaves crunching underfoot. Georgie knew what they were about to do was illegal, but, nonetheless, she still felt some kind of an unseen force drawing her in that direction. Maybe that's why she kept going all this way, even knowing the attempt to stop her friends was futile. She looked back at Stephen, a look of longing on her face. Then, she made a snap decision.

"Let's go," Georgie said, and she turned and raced after the other kids. Unwilling but still loyal, Stephen sprinted after Georgie.

The group walked for about ten, fifteen minutes, until they saw a break in the woods. The thick and claustrophobic darkness of the woods began to release them, and all of them were relieved. They came out onto a big yard, behind an old, dilapidated barn. The kids skirted around it, Gus leading. Gus spread his arms out and walked in a circle, grinning from ear to ear.

"Ladies and gents, I present to you...the Man vs. Horse set!" Gus exclaimed. He rubbed his hands together, thinking of where he was going to go first.

"Keep your voice down, someone might hear you," Abigail advised him, smiling as well. Gus shrugged like he didn't care.

Straight ahead of them sat a lonely, old, one-story house, yards away. All of the lights were out and there seemed to be no movement inside the house. A shed sat to the left of the property from where they all stood. A high-fenced round pen was opposite the shed, on the other side of the yard.

"Ooooo, I bet they keep all of the film equipment in there," Gus marveled, his bright eyes landing on the shed. "C'mon, over here." He motioned toward the others and started walking to the shed.

"No, no, no, we can't separate and we shouldn't touch anything!" Georgie intervened, sprinting forward to stop them, but she only found herself flying through the air and landing in the dirt.

"Georgie, are you alright?" Stephen asked, kneeling down beside her.

Georgie pushed herself up, brushing dirt from her face and arms. She took a mental count of herself, finding no extensive injuries, only a raw stinging where her hands slid across the dirt. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said. "I just tripped over something..." She looked behind her to try to see what had tripped her.

What she found horrified and disgusted her so much that she almost threw up right there. A hoof stuck up from the ground just a foot away from her. Georgie held back a scream, her hand flying to her mouth, realizing that a horse was buried right here. Then, she looked over and found another mound of dirt a couple feet away from this one. This time, Georgie did gasp out loud, jumping up and backing away from here as fast as she could. Except, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the makeshift graveyard. Her feet only stopped moving when her back thudded against the slatted wood of a fence.

Georgie turned around slowly and found herself looking in on a round pen. She was just able to make out the dark silhouette of a horse standing in the middle of the circular arena. Suddenly, she felt hypnotized, like everything had been pulling and leading her to this spot. Georgie rested her hands on the fence, leaning forward. Even in the dark, she knew that the horse was watching her.

"Spiridon?" Georgie called, in a whisper. The stallion pricked his ears, letting out a tense breath. "Here, boy," she murmured. Spiridon stared at her, then he lifted a hoof and took a step forward. Then, he froze again. Georgie's heart went out to this magnificent creature, left caged and terrified here. She couldn't let him stay here one more minute. "Do you want me to get you out of here?" she whispered to him. Spiridon snorted nervously. Georgie slowly moved over to the gate, trying not to draw attention to herself. She reached her hand out to the lock on the gate.

Suddenly, the back light on the house flicked on, flooding the yard. Spiridon snorted again, jumping and running to the other side of the pen. Georgie froze, her hand over the gate that she now saw had a padlock on it. Georgie spun around, crouching down to the ground to try make herself as small as possible. She couldn't see her other friends, but she hoped they were hiding quietly. She glanced over and saw a man standing just outside the back door. The light cast him completely in shadow, but she thought she could make out the outline of a gun hanging in his hand. A dog could be heard barking inside the house.

"Who the hell is out there?!" Hank Caldwell yelled out. He maneuvered his gun to in front of him, holding it with two hands now.

It was a tense, silent couple of seconds as Georgie held her breath, hoping he wouldn't see her. But then again, she didn't have to worry about that much longer.

"Run!" Gus shouted, from the other side of the yard, bolting from the open shed. Georgie jumped at the broken silence, and then four shadows darted out from places, racing toward the trees. Georgie stood up, but she didn't run; she turned and stared helplessly at Spiridon.

"Hey, get the hell back here!" Hank called, firing a shot into the air as a warning.

The gunshot spooked Spiridon some more and he reared up high. Tears sprung to Georgie's eyes as she watched his fright and panic. The stallion's eyes rolled in his head. Georgie started to open her mouth to soothe him with quiet words that she would protect him and save him from this place. Instead, she felt someone grab her hand and pull her backward.

"C'mon, Georgie, we have to go!" Stephen told her, running beside her. She wanted to stop and go back, but her heart was pounding so loud and she thought she heard the sound of pursuing footsteps.

So, Georgie did what she used to do best: Run. Her feet pounded against the ground, running beside her friend and holding on tightly to his sweaty hand. However, with each stride she took, she regretted it even more, for her heart still stood with the beautiful stallion still trapped in a nightmare.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, how did you all like it? Was it intense, scary? Prepare for more. Tell me what you thought/liked about this chapter. I promise I'll try to update sooner this time.


	10. The Visit

**A/N:** Hey, everyone, thank you all for the reviews; I'm happy that you all enjoyed the last chapter. I did it; I got the chapter done in a week! I'm so happy! One reviewer was a little confused last chapter, but, don't worry, this chapter will clear things. I promise, by the end of this chapter, you will have some kind of an idea of how Ty gets in trouble and you'll narrow it down to who gets hurt. I think. Hope you all enjoy this new one! :)

* * *

 **~ Chapter Nine ~**

 **~~ The Visit ~~**

"Amy!"

Amy Fleming-Borden was finishing spreading the bedding in the last stall, when she heard her husband's call from out in the yard. She smiled, smoothing out the bedding with a pitchfork. It was a sound Amy could get used to hearing, Ty calling her from somewhere in the yard. Their yard. Their ranch. If she closed her eyes right now, she could pretend they were already living here and it was a beautiful dream. Amy heard him call to her again, and, with one more swipe, she was done with the stall.

"In the barn!" Amy called back to him, stepping out of the stall and pulled the door shut behind her. She locked the stall, and leaned the pitchfork against the wall. The nameplate hanging on the stall swung side to side. Amy steadied it, making sure it was straight and even, not that Spartan would have cared or noticed. She wanted the barn to be perfect.

"I knew it," Ty said, as he strolled into the barn, smirking.

Amy turned to face him, and smiled. "Knew what?" she questioned, meeting him halfway. "That I would be in the barn? Where else would I be?" She laughed as they stopped right in front of each other.

"No, I mean that, how did I know that you would have the barn nearly done and ready before the house was?" Ty chuckled.

Amy smacked him in the shoulder playfully. "I'd be more mad and hit you harder, but even I know that it is true," she laughed. Ty laughed with her, moving closer as his arms naturally wrapped around her waist. She wound her own arms around him, too, lacing her hands together behind his back.

"The first step is admittance," Ty said, looking down at her. "Amy Borden, you're a equine-holic." He managed to say it with a straight face, but he bit his lip to hide his smile. Amy laughed out loud.

"Oh, yeah," Amy replied. "Maybe I am, and it's Amy _Fleming_ -Borden." She poked her finger against his chest, correcting his mistake. Her finger remained on his chest, hooking on his jacket. She played with the lining of his coat, his warmth radiating over her.

"Oh, sorry, _wife_ ," Ty apologized. He liked the way the word sounded coming off of his lips, and he hoped it sang in her heart the same way it did in his. He leaned his head down closer to her. His breath tickled her cheek, sending tingles racing down her spine. Amy closed her eyes in bliss, and relied on her other senses. His familiar, warm scent, mixed with the lingering smell of paint, wafted over her. Ty's hands were on her waist, slipping underneath her jacket and shirt to stroke her bare skin. She traced her hands up his arms, following his shape, and settling her arms around his neck. She played with the hair at the nape of his neck, and she felt him shiver in pleasure. Amy pressed her cheek against his, breathing deep.

She opened her eyes and gazed at him. "But you know, there is something else I'm a little obsessed over, too," Amy told him, grinning seductively.

"Oh, yeah," Ty replied, intriguingly and curiously. He held her tighter against his body. "What's that?"

Amy moved her face closer, until their noses touched in a feather kiss. "My incredibly handsome husband," she whispered. Ty's smile got bigger, although a bit self-consciously, and he swooped down to capture her lips with his own. They kissed, lips moving together passionately. He tugged at her bottom lip gently with his teeth, asking permission, and, when she granted it, his tongue slid inside and tangled up with hers. One hand stayed at her waist, and the other one slid up her back, her clothes bunching up because of his actions. There was a cool breeze, but Amy barely felt it against her bare skin. The heat and friction happening between them right now was more than enough to keep her warm.

Then, Amy started to pull away, but Ty managed to sneak in a few more kisses. She placed her hands on his chest to put some space between them. "As much as I would love to stay wrapped up in your arms,-" she started to say, while Ty tried to sneak more kisses. He kissed her cheek, then continued along her jawline to her neck. Amy inadvertently gave him better access when she tilted her head back, letting out a small moan.

Ty paused quickly in his ministrations to look at her. "Hey, you're the one who announced I was your obsession," he chuckled. "I'm just trying to live up to that." He planted a kiss on her neck for emphasis.

"Yes, I did," Amy laughed, taking a step back, much to Ty's dismay. Though, as soon as she stepped away, she missed him being so close. "But we have all the time in the world, starting with _tonight_. Did you call me for a reason?"

Ty sighed, realizing that the kissing was now over. "Well, I was coming to see if you were done and able to help paint inside the house," he explained. "I was thinking with all of us helping, we could finish painting the living room before lunch. Then, we can head over to Heartland. Plus, if Caleb accidentally flicks paint on me one more time, I think I might just wreck the place and start a paint throwing war. And _that_ won'tbe good."

"No, it wouldn't,.. for anybody," Amy laughed. She reached up and touched the side of his face. "I was wondering what this was. Now I know." She touched the paint streak on his face, giggling. Ty touched the spot in embarrassment, but Amy wrapped her fingers around his, pulling their hands back down.

Amy started leading him out of the barn. "Well, then, I guess I have to help, just to keep the paint from flying between you and Caleb," she agreed. "Or else, Lou will dump paint on all of us for messing up the house." Ty smiled.

They walked toward the house, their linked hands swinging between them. Then, Ty brought their hands up and kissed Amy's knuckles. "I can't wait for our forever to start," he told her, quietly and lovingly.

Amy smiled up at him, leaning into him as she walked. "It already has," she whispered back. They shared a quick but passionate kiss, their lips pressing together without breaking their stride to the house.

"Yes, it has," Ty amended, happily.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Lou and Peter were curled together on the couch in the family room. Her legs were draped over his lap as they studied a baby book of names, trying to find the perfect name for their son. It was a quiet peaceful moment before lunch, with Katie playing in her room, no doubt making a mess, and Georgie was outside riding Phoenix. Lou laid her head on her husband's shoulder, holding the book and fighting to keep her eyes open. Peter rested his hand on her belly and, as he moved his hand around in a slow circular motion, it wasn't helping her effort. She was at the stage of her pregnancy of fatigue and tiredness.

"Ok, how about this one?" Peter suggested, pointing to one page.

"Ok, honey, I can't tell if you're pointing to Sheldon or Theodore," Lou said, putting her hand on his arm. "but, either way, no."

"Why not? They are good names, strong ones," Peter defended. "And Theodore can be shortened to Theo." He looked hopeful as he looked over at her.

Lou had her eyebrows raised and mouth opened a little in surprise that he was really considering those choices. She leaned back, gaping. "Theodore is the name of a chipmunk," she said, enunciating each word carefully.

Peter looked like he hadn't thought of that. "Okay, well,..." he agreed, and looked back down at the baby book, flipping the pages. He glanced back up again, pointing to a different name. "What about Carlos?"

Lou's only expression was a single eyebrow raised. Before she could tell him he was off name duty and that she'll just pick one herself, there was three repetitive knocks on the door. Lou handed him the book and swung her legs slowly to the floor. "Ok, you are going to look at this some more and try not to name our child after any more animals," she told him. "I'm going to get the door." She started to get up, but Peter took her wrist, stopping her.

"I'll get the door," Peter offered, setting the book down beside him on the couch. "You stay here." He patted her leg.

"No, no, I'm getting cramped sitting here. I have to move," Lou insisted. She got to her feet, accepting his help. Peter reluctantly let her go.

He sat back down on the couch, picking up the book again. "But before you go, are Abu, Simba, and Mufasa off the table as well?" he joked, just wanting to see her reaction.

Lou walked around the couch, her hand trailing along the back of the couch and across his shoulders. "You've been watching too many Disney movies," she grinned. She leaned over and kissed his head. Peter squeezed her hand affectionately before she turned away.

"That's why I need this boy," Peter replied. "I'm surrounded by girls." He looked down at the book and flipped through the pages

Lou grinned and shook her head as she passed through the hallway into the kitchen. Georgie was in the kitchen at the open refrigerator, wrestling with a bag of carrots. Lou slowed down in her walk to the door. "Oh, I didn't know you were inside," she mentioned to her daughter.

"Yeah, I was jumping Phoenix and he was really rusty and anxious," Georgie explained, glancing up but she didn't stop trying to open the bag. "But the third time around the ring, we were in sync and he was perfect. I forgot to bring him a carrot out." She held the carrots up as an example.

Lou nodded, and walked over to the door, just as another two knocks came upon the door. She opened the door, and came face to face with an intimidating looking man. He had penetratingly dark eyes and a shaved head. Even though she had absolutely no reason to, she placed her hand over her belly protectively. Because that was the kind of vibe this man gave off.

"May I help you?" Lou asked him, politely.

"I certainly hope so," the man answered. At the sound of the man's voice, all noise in the kitchen ceased immediately. Lou didn't notice, however. "Does Georgina Fleming-Morris live here?"

"Yeees," Lou answered, her eyebrows scrunching together in curiosity and confusion over why this man was asking about her daughter. "She's my daughter. Why are you asking?"

"My name is Hank Caldwell, and I believe your daughter and her friends trespassed on my property last night," Hank explained, gruffly.

"What? That's impossible, she was at the movies with her friends last night," Lou insisted. She stepped back, holding the door open. "Please, come in so we can discuss this." Hank stepped loudly inside, and Lou closed the door behind him.

Hank stepped into the kitchen and spotted Georgie immediately. He glowered at her, and she froze under his scrutiny. The bag of carrots dropped from her hands, hitting the floor with a thud.

"Peter, can you come in here please?" Lou called to her husband, breaking the silence.

"I'm guessing you didn't tell your parents about your excursions last night," Hank quipped to Georgie.

Georgie gulped, and stooped down to pick up the bag of carrots with shaking hands. Peter strolled into the kitchen, clueless as to what was happening. "What's going on?" he questioned, placing his hands on his hips.

"Well, Hank, here, says that Georgie and her friends trespassed on his property last night," Lou filled him in.

"That's crazy. I dropped her off in front of the movie theater last night," Peter said. He looked over at his daughter for confirmation. Georgie opened her mouth to reply.

"Don't bother to deny it, girl," Hank warned her. "I have proof." With that, he pulled something out of his jeans pocket. He held it up, revealing a laminated school ID card with Georgie's name and picture on it. "Found this in my yard this morning."

Lou and Peter shot their gazes toward Georgie in shock. "What?!" Lou exclaimed.

"It wasn't like that!" Georgie argued, stepping up to the kitchen table. She swung the bag of carrots onto the table. "I was trying to stop the others! They were being dumb!"

"Ha! Then I guess you were being dumb right along with them," Hank interrupted her, snorting.

Georgie glared at him, then turned back to her parents. "It's true!" she pleaded. "He does a show called Man vs. Horse. Gus sprung it on us at the last minute, saying that he wanted to go on a tour of the place. I tried to stop them; I knew they were going to get in big trouble."

"Then why didn't you call us, Georgie?" Peter asked her. "You shouldn't have taken that on all by yourself."

"I know, I don't know why I didn't," Georgie said, weakly, looking down at the floor, mumbling, "I guess I..." She trailed off, unintelligibly.

"Instead, you kids trespassed on my property and messed with all of my stuff," Hank accused. He then pointed his finger at Georgie. "And you, in particular, spooked my horse so bad that he is still so wired today. I thought he was going to have a heart attack."

Georgie shot her head back up, looking right at Hank. She suddenly felt afraid that he did something to Spiridon. "That's a lie!" Georgie burst out. "He's not afraid of me, he's afraid of you!"

"Georgie," Lou chastised, softly. Hank watched on in innocence, but there was a threatening look under his facade.

"I'm not lying!" Georgie shouted. "He's abusing his horse, I saw it! Spiridon was terrified, and he had whip marks all over his body." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, for the poor horse.

"Shut your damn mouth, girl!" Hank exclaimed. "You don't know what you are talking about, and you are damn lucky I didn't call the police."

"Hey, don't talk to my daughter that way!" Peter warned Hank, stepping toward the hostile man.

Lou was between them, and placed her hand on Peter's chest to keep him back. "Ok, thank you for not calling the police on her," Lou replied, diffusing the tension in the room. "We can handle the situation from here."

"Yeah, I think it's time for you to leave," Peter added, a bit calmer now.

"I'm not leaving until I get an apology and assurance that this will never happen again," Hank shook his head, not moving. He tossed Georgie's ID onto the table hard, and it nearly skidded off the table.

"It won't, believe me," Lou assured him. She turned her head toward her daughter. "Georgie?" she urged her on, with a nod.

Georgie sighed, not happy. "Sorry," she mumbled, avoiding his eye contact.

Hank nodded efficiently. "Take my not contacting the police as a peace offering," he said. "I'm not usually the forgiving type, especially on second offenses." When he said the latter, he shot a warning glance at the sullen and upset thirteen year old.

Lou thanked him again, and then, after telling Georgie to stay right there, she and Peter walked Hank back outside to his truck. They saw that Amy and Ty had just arrived and were walking to the gate at the same time they were. Lou and Peter stopped, letting Hank pass through the gate. Hank saw Amy and Ty, and when he passed by them, he recognized Ty from their last meeting.

"I should have known you were involved in this," Hank growled, barely under his breath.

Ty looked at him confusedly, as did Amy, but he pulled Amy closer to him, his arm wrapping around her waist tightly. Protectively.

* * *

 **A/N:** Wow, was that intense or what! Did anybody think something worse was going to happen? Tell me what you thought about this chapter. C'mon, you know I love hearing from all of you. Please review; I'll update faster again.


	11. High Actions

**A/N:** Thank you again to all of my readers and reviewers! Now, I've been anxiously waiting to write this chapter and now I have. I can't wait to see what you think of this chapter. Hang on tight, it's going to be a very bumpy ride. Side note: I'm going to pause (just for a little bit) to write a quick Halloween story for my Vengeance/Repercussions readers. Enjoy, :)

* * *

 **~ Chapter Ten ~**

 **~~ High Actions ~~**

They all stood there watching Hank speed away in his truck, a dust cloud blooming up behind him and staying in his wake. Amy and Ty shared a glance, wondering what exactly had happened inside the house. Amy didn't know who he was, just that he had a very creepy vibe coming off of him. Ty, of course, did recognize him, and he only knew that if Hank was here, then it wasn't good. Hank didn't strike him as a friendly or social kind of person. Jack came walking across the yard just then, dusting his hands off. He looked between the four of them and came to the conclusion that he had missed something of much importance.

"What's going on out here? Who was that?" Jack asked, looking between the four of them still standing there.

Ty sighed before he answered, "I don't know, but I do know that is one guy you don't want to make angry." He, Amy, and Jack turned to face Lou and Peter, the only two who actually knew what Hank's visit was all about.

"Let's go inside and talk," Lou said, crossing her arms against the chill in the air. "Georgie can also help shine some light on this, too." After a pause, she turned and walked back to the house. Peter turned with her, his hand on her back softly guiding her along. Amy, Ty, and Jack went up the walk after them a moment later.

They all gathered in the kitchen, with mugs of coffee or tea. Much to her own dismay, Georgie stood facing all of them, feeling very much like she was on trial. She had just finished explaining everything that had happened last night after Peter dropped her off at the movie theater. To say that they were shocked and disappointed in her would be an understatement. When she was done, she couldn't look straight at anybody, so she trained her gaze down on the floor.

"Now, I can't believe you would do something like this," Jack stated, shaking his head, from his spot at the table.

"Yeah, Georgie, what do you think you would have been able to do?" Amy added, setting her mug down on the counter and crossing her arms when she faced forward again.

"I don't know, I was in over my head," Georgie admitted, lowly. She toed the floor with her sneaker. "Then, I saw Spiridon and I couldn't think of anything else. I should have jumped on his back and rode him out of there." The latter was spoken in a mutter, but she was still heard.

"Ok, I did not just hear you speak about stealing a horse so casually," Lou said, taken aback, stunned. She sat in other chair at the table, with Peter standing behind her. His hands were resting on her shoulders.

"Spiridon is _not_ his horse!" Georgie exclaimed, passionately. "He kidnapped him from the wild, where he's supposed to be running free!" She nearly choked on her last words, the tears springing to her eyes fast.

"Wait, Georgie, how could you know that Spiridon is wild?" Amy questioned, her expression turning curious as she leaned forward.

"Because of this," Georgie explained. She took a couple steps over to the table, reaching for the laptop sitting on top. She opened it up, and tapped at the keys for a minute. Then, she turned it around to show everybody the screen. "Look."

Everybody moved as one to peer at the computer screen. Georgie had pulled up the Man vs. Horse website. "That is Spiridon, and that is Mr. Caldwell," Georgie pointed to the screen, explaining. "He takes wild horses and puts them in this pen, where he whips and beats them into submission. And the worst part is that when he's done with them,...he kills them."

"Well, how do you know that?" Jack asked her, peering over his glasses and the computer screen at Georgie.

"Because, last night, I saw five mounds of dirt at the back of the ranch and one of them had a hoof sticking out," Georgie told them. She couldn't contain the shudder that shook her body involuntarily. "It was so terrible! He shot those poor horses when he was done with them and couldn't be bothered to bury them properly." She crossed her arms across her chest and turned her face away, hastily brushing at her wet eyes. "That's probably why he had no problem shooting at us," Georgie muttered.

"Wait, he shot a gun at you?!" Lou said, in surprise, her arm dropping down to the table from where she had been leaning on it. She put her hand over mouth, looking up at Peter fearfully. Peter rubbed her shoulders reassuringly.

"Well,...he had the gun pointed at the sky, but it was still scary," Georgie corrected. "Spiridon had heard the sound of gunshot before, but it still scared him like it was the first time." Spiridon's haunted, terrified eyes swam before her eyes and she couldn't escape them.

"Well, I've heard enough," Jack stated, pushing back his chair and starting to get up. "I'll be damned if anyone is going to shoot a gun at Georgie."

"Whoa, whoa, hold on, Jack," Ty intervened, stepping forward. "I've had the unfortunate luck to have had an encounter with this guy, too. He is not some easy-going guy. I could barely ask for his permission to extract a coyote from his fence without him tightening his grip on his gun. Hank is very dangerous."

"We can't leave Spiridon with Mr. Caldwell," Georgie insisted, determinedly. "It's wrong. We have to get him away from there."

"What do you propose, Georgie?" Peter questioned her, holding out his hand imploringly. "We just can't take a horse from someone. There will be severe consequences."

"Maybe we can," Amy murmured, thoughtfully. Everyone turned to look at her in surprise. Georgie's face lit up into an excited smile.

"Amy, what are you talking about?" Ty was the first to ask, turning toward her. He looked at her with concern written all over his face. "I already told you what Hank is capable of and more. I don't even want to think about what he would do. It's not worth risking your life."

"He's right, Amy," Lou agreed, softly.

"No, listen, no one is going to be risking their lives. It's very simple, actually," Amy explained, shaking her head at them. She took a step forward, laying her hands down flat on the table. "You said that Hank didn't call the police on Georgie, right?" Lou nodded slowly, unsure of where Amy was going with this. "Why didn't he? You'd think he would, unless he knew what he was doing was something illegal and didn't want the police sniffing around his place. He said he was being generous, but I don't think so."

"So, you're saying that we go to him and tell him to give us Spiridon or else we'll call the police on him?" Georgie asked, getting excited and happy. They were going to rescue Spiridon after all.

"No, no, there's no we in there," Lou stopped her daughter before she could get started. "You're not going anywhere near that dangerous situation. Plus, you are grounded."

"What?" Georgie exclaimed. "That's not fair! I didn't do anything; I tried to do the right thing."

"Yes, you did," Lou agreed, then continued, "However, no matter your intent, you still trespassed on a man's property and you chose to hide it."

"But-" Georgie started to argue.

"She's right, Georgie. I'm sorry," Peter added. "Grounded, one week."

Georgie huffed and stomped her foot, but she didn't argue any further. Her gaze flitted to the window, then back to her parents, relenting. "Can I at least untack Phoenix?" she asked, in a quiet mumble. "He's been waiting for me all this time."

Peter looked down at Lou, conferring with her for a second. He looked back at Georgie. "Yes, you may go take care of Phoenix," Peter told her, pointing his finger at her. "But as soon as you are done, back in the house and up to your room."

It was quiet as Georgie nodded and walked to the door. The door opened and then clicked shut as Georgie went outside. Lou sat back in her chair, after Georgie left. "Wow, she took that a little easier than I thought she was going to," she admitted, sighing.

"Well, she's growing up," Peter replied, hands landing back down on his wife's shoulders. He rubbed his hands once, twice, up and down on her shoulders. "She's starting to learn that her actions have consequences."

"But Georgie is still Georgie, so be prepared for her to be sulking the rest of the day," Jack chuckled, standing up from the table to refill his coffee cup. Lou and Peter chuckled, too, knowing that he was right. The laughter drifted off, and Lou turned toward her sister, who had been conversing quietly with Ty.

"I also don't think it's a good idea for you to go either," Lou admitted. "We shouldn't get any further involved than we already are." She took a quiet sip of her tea and then set the mug back on the table, pushing it away.

"Yes, Amy, I think she's right," Ty agreed, his hands reaching up to take a hold of her arms. "Hank is already a little angry with us. I think we should just call animal welfare, they'll be better equipped to handle Hank. Not us."

Amy shook her head. "No, that's the last thing that will stop Hank," she argued. "If we send animal welfare or the police, he might feel cornered enough to do something drastic. We can't risk Spiridon's life. No, I think what we need to do is go there ourselves and give him an ultimatum. We demand that he release Spiridon to us of his own free will, or we will get the police involved. If we do this quietly and reasonably, it should work. He's not going to risk getting into trouble with the police, all for the sake of a horse."

Ty still looked unsure, but as he gazed at her, he saw the resilience in her eyes. She was never going to stop until she rescued Spiridon. This wonderful, courageous woman standing before him was that fearless young girl he fell in love all those years ago. Amy would stick her neck out for any horse, and Ty wouldn't have had married her honestly if he wasn't willing to stand by her always. And it was the very reason of him loving her that made his decision for him.

"Ok," Ty gave a short, affirmative nod of his head. "We'll go get him. Let's go get the trailer hitched up." Amy smiled at him, and leaned up on her toes to peck him on the lips. She whispered a thank you against his lips. Her gratitude filled him a warmth that nearly blocked out the dread in the pit of his stomach. He smiled back her, keeping his negative feelings to himself. Amy took his hand, and led him out of the house.

Lou sighed, sitting back against her chair. She put her hand over eyes, then ran it down the side of her face. She crossed her other arm over chest. "I don't like this," she said, morosely. "I just have a terrible feeling about all of this."

"Yeah, this isn't sitting well with me either," Jack agreed, taking his cup and placing it in the sink. "but Amy knows what she's doing and Ty is going with her. We can only hope that will be enough."

Lou nodded, eyes cast downward, her hand running along Peter's hand to reassure herself. Peter leaned down, wrapping his arms around her in a more comforting hug. He kissed her cheek, whispering 'it'll be okay' against her skin. But the fright was still there.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It was afternoon by the time Amy and Ty got the trailer hooked up to the truck. The yard was empty as they climbed into the truck, nerves jangling. Georgie must be in the barn untacking Phoenix, or she must have finished and gone inside the house already. Ty looked over at Amy as he started the truck. He watched her take a deep steadying breath as she buckled her seat belt. Her breath released as the seat belt clicked and she looked up straight out the windshield.

"You ready?" Ty asked her, softly. He put extra meaning into the words, giving her one last chance to change her mind and not go through with this.

Amy didn't say anything for a minute. Then, she nodded slowly and turned to face him. "Ready," she nodded, more surer this time.

They pulled out of the long drive of Heartland and onto the street. They drove mostly in silence, watching the fading sun turn the sky bright orange. When they approached Hank Caldwell's ranch, Ty slowed the truck down and paused right in front of the ranch. He took deep breath and released it slowly. Amy didn't put any pressure on him to hurry along. This was it. There was absolutely no turning back after this. They both knew that this was a big moment and that they had to do it, but even Amy was starting doubt if they would succeed.

It was the sound of a horse neighing a terrible and painful sound that spurred them on. Ty turned the truck into the driveway, and they bumped along until he pulled the truck to a stop in front of the house. Amy soon got a one-track mind as the horse called out again. Worry and concern took over her facial features. She took off her seat belt and reached for the door handle in one swift movement.

"Wait," Ty said, grabbing her arm before she could get out of the truck. She glanced at him almost impatiently. "Amy, I want you to promise me that if things start to get dangerous, we leave and let the police handle Hank. Promise."

Amy stared at him, and her gaze softened as she saw the worry etched clearly on his face. Worry for her. She smiled reassuringly at him. "I promise," Amy whispered, reaching up to touch his cheek. They stayed like that for a minute and then they broke away, climbing out of the truck.

After Ty shut his door and Amy walked around the truck to stand beside him, there came a bang from the back of the truck. Both of their heads turned toward the sound and Ty's eyes narrowed in curiosity. "What was that?" he muttered. They walked over to investigate it. Getting closer, they could just make out a dark head crouched in the bed of the truck.

"Georgie?" Amy called out.

A second later, the thirteen year old sat up slowly, guiltily. "Hi,..." Georgie replied.

"What are you doing here?" Amy questioned her, accusatory. "I'm guessing Lou doesn't know you're here."

"I don't care how much trouble I get in. I have to be here," Georgie defended herself. "I have to be here for Spiridon. He needs me. I can help rescue him; he'll recognize me from last night. He'll know I'm not going to hurt him."

"Georgie, you can't be here. We don't know how this is going to play out," Ty told her. He made a motion toward her, and Georgie stood up, coming over to the side of the truck. Ty held out his hand, helping jump down from the truck. Her feet hit the ground with a soft thud.

Amy put her hand on Georgie's back, leading her over to the cab of the truck. "We can't take you back, so I want you to wait in the truck," Amy instructed her. She opened the door and waited for Georgie to get in.

"But I want to help!" Georgie exclaimed, pouting.

"I know, Georgie, but this is the best thing for you to do," Amy replied. "You're just going to have to trust me on this." Georgie hesitated, and then climbed into the truck sullenly.

"Here," Ty reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Take my phone, and if we take too long or if you hear something, call the police immediately. Whatever you do, don't get out of the truck."

Georgie took the phone and flopped back against the seat, grumpily. Ty shut the truck door and he and Amy were off. They followed the sound of the crack of a whip and a horse's whinny again. When they passed the house, they saw Hank inside the round pen, driving Spiridon around and around with a whip. It snapped on the stallion's rear, and the horse bucked and neighed, running and turning sporadically to try to escape. Spiridon was covered in sweat and his eyes were rolling, but Hank just kept coming at him. He looked like a man possessed in the fading light.

"Hey!" Ty yelled out to him.

Hank spun around, which didn't help to calm Spiridon down. The stallion ran around the pen again, then stopped at the back, ears and eyes appraising the situation carefully and tensely. Hank tossed the whip to the ground, and stalked to the gate. "What the hell are you doing here?" he threw out. He banged through the gate and over to them.

"We want to offer you a proposition," Amy stated, the lead rope she had brought from the truck dangling in her hand.

"Whatever it is, I'm not interested," Hank declined. Now, he was just twenty feet away from them. "Get the hell off of my property!"

"You're going to want to be interested, Hank," Ty told him. "Let us take the horse and we won't get the police involved here. You can leave town and no one will ever know."

Hank was now closer. "You better think twice before you threaten me again, boy," he warned. "Get the hell off of my property!" Then,...Hank strode past them and toward the house. Amy and Ty didn't know what happened, until they heard the slam of the house door. They looked at each other confusedly for a minute.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get him."

Amy and Ty spun around and saw Georgie standing there in the yard. "Georgie, I told you to stay in the truck," Amy reprimanded her.

"I'm here now, let's get Spiridon before Hank comes back out," Georgie suggested. She didn't wait for them to respond, she just started walking to the round pen. Spiridon watched her with guarded eyes. She got to the gate and opened it slowly. "Hi, boy," she murmured to the spooked stallion. She started taking slow steps into the pen, toward Spiridon.

Amy followed behind the young girl slowly and Ty stopped at the gate. "Be careful, Georgie," Amy whispered. Georgie nodded faintly and held out her hand, holding it out in a peace offering. Spiridon continued to watch her, without moving closer but also not moving away. The girls were about three feet away from the horse and they stopped, to let Spiridon decide to come the rest of the way. They waited an agonizing, tense two minutes, before Spiridon finally took a step forward. Ty kept glancing over his shoulder at the house. He knew this process of getting Spiridon to trust them took time, but he didn't know how much time they had left. Spiridon took another step closer, and Georgie couldn't stop the grin that started to splice her face. Soon, Spiridon's nose butted against her outstretched hand.

"Good boy," Georgie murmured, rubbing his face slowly. His breath brushed her cheek in fast, short puffs.

"Good boy, Spiridon," Amy repeated, in the same low tone. She stepped over to his other side, and clipped the lead rope to the muddy, raggedy halter he wore. She patted his neck affectionately. "Good job, Georgie," she praised the younger girl. Georgie beamed in happiness from the compliment.

"Ok, we ready?" Ty called from the gate.

"Yeah," Amy called back, giving the stallion one last pat. Then, she clicked her tongue and started leading him out of the pen. Georgie walked alongside them, as Ty opened the gate.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY HORSE!" came the loud, booming voice. It was quickly followed by a gunshot. Amy, Ty, and Georgie all instantaneously ducked their heads, but Hank had only fired it toward the sky, this time. Spiridon jumped and backed away until he was at the end of the rope. Amy held onto him tightly, trying to keep him calm.

"We're taking him with us, Hank," Ty told the enraged man. "It's in your best interest to let us. No one needs to get hurt."

"Like hell you are!" Hank spat, and he ran straight toward them.

"Georgie, get behind Ty," Amy instructed the girl. She tried to choke down her fear, but it was rapidly growing. Georgie didn't argue for once, reading the situation for what it was: dangerous.

"Georgie, call the police," Ty also told her, hoping she still had his phone and she didn't leave it in the truck.

Georgie fumbled in her pocket for the phone, and then Hank was right in front of them. He reached for the lead rope in Amy's hands, but Ty blocked him, stepping in the way. Spiridon danced in place, frantically. Ty glanced quickly over his shoulder at Amy. He saw her struggling to hold on to Spiridon, but there was a determined line on her face and in her eyes. She tried speaking soothing words to the horse. There was no way she was going to leave him now.

"Let us go," Ty said to Hank, his tone low and even, one final time.

In the flash of a second, Hank brought his rifle up and jammed the end against Ty's chest. Ty flinched upon the impact, but, otherwise, he remained completely still, keeping an even stare with Hank. "Back. Off." Hank ordered, seething. "Now."

"You can't keep him here, you monster!" Georgie exclaimed.

Suddenly, Georgie darted underneath Ty's arm and toward Hank. Hank barely spared her a sidelong glance, like she was an annoying insect. He raised his gun and swung it out. It collided with the back of Georgie's head and the thirteen year old was falling. Hank shoved her out of his way, and she flew into the fence, hitting her head again and crumpling right there on the ground.

"Georgie!"

Amy was horrified at what she just witnessed and now seeing Georgie lie there unconscious. Then, everything blurred together. She heard Ty call to her telling her to go to Georgie and get her out of here. Then she just saw him lunge at Hank, tackling him to the ground.

"Ty!"

With her heart pounding loud in her ears, Amy backed Spiridon into the pen again, unclipped him, and closed the gate. She watched Ty fight with Hank for a slow second, frozen. Then, she rushed over to Georgie, dropping to her knees down beside her. Amy didn't know what to do; she wasn't a doctor. She only knew enough to know that this was very bad. She pushed Georgie's dark hair off of her pale face. When she touched the back of the girl's head, her fingers touched something wet and sticky. Pulling her hand back, Amy found that it was covered in blood and a lot of it. She gaped in horror and uncertainty as her fingers started to shake. Pushing through the fog in her brain, she pulled off her jacket and held it against Georgie's head. She wasn't even sure if it was going to work. Pretty quickly, she started to feel the blood through the jacket.

Suddenly, a loud gunshot pierced the air. Amy jumped from the sound of it. What happened next scared her more than anything else:

Silence.

* * *

 **A/N:** How was it? Was it how anyone expected? I know I'm leaving it on a cliffhanger, but I won't leave you too long. Please review and tell me what you are all thinking now. :)


	12. Fallout

**A/N:** Hey, guys, I'm back! I'm so sorry I kept you all waiting so long with that big cliffhanger. I'm in the process of moving, so things have been very crazy and hectic, especially with the holidays. New year, new slate. I'm going to try to get a chapter done in week's time, no longer. I have actually created a trailer for this story and posted it on my YouTube channel. The link is in my profile, if you want to check it out. :)

Keep supporting me and I'm sure I can do it. I hope everyone had a Happy Holiday, and Happy New Year. Anyway, I've kept you waiting long enough, here's the new chapter. Enjoy :)

* * *

 **~ Chapter Eleven ~**

 **~~ Fallout ~~**

The little girl stepped quietly out of her room and pulled the door shut with a soft click. She took the Barbie doll from underneath her arm, from where she put it when she needed to open the door, and now she carried a doll in each hand. She hummed the melody of a song she'd heard play on the radio or television so many times. The little girl didn't really know the words to the song and she hardly was aware of herself humming anyway. She walked down the hallway to the family room, skipping lightly and her arms swinging by her side in tandem.

 _I remember tears streaming down your face_

 _When I said I'd never let you go_

Katie skipped into the living room, where Peter was cleaning up Katie's old crib for the new baby. He turned his head slightly at the sound of someone approaching, and smiled at his daughter. The little girl swung onto the stairs and continued to ascend the staircase. When she reached the top, Katie could see the door to Georgie's room was slightly ajar and a big smile spread across her face as she climbed the last of the stairs. Whenever Georgie's door was open, that meant she might want to play with her.

"Georgie!" Katie called, walking up to the door and pushed it more open with her hand. "Wanna play?" The door swung the rest of the way open and Katie stopped, standing in the doorway. She didn't see her big sister in the room. "Georgie?" she glanced around, curiously. Then, she gasped and smiled. "Are you playing hide and seek?" The little girl ran into the room and to the other side of the bed, but she stopped and frowned when she didn't find her sister kneeling there on the floor.

"You under here?" Katie wondered out loud, getting down on the floor. She peered under the bed and came up empty again. No Georgie. Katie sat back up on her knees, with a quiet sigh. "Where is she?"

Katie climbed to her feet and left Georgie's room. As she began her descent back downstairs, the house phone began ringing. The child paid it no mind, then it was picked up after the third ring. "Daddy?" Katie called, when she could see the living room and her father still in there.

"Yes, Katie-cat?" Peter answered, standing up straight still looking at the crib and gave it a shake test.

"Where's Georgie?" she asked, taking the rest of the steps one at a time. She watched her steps, her hand sliding along the banister. When she was done, she looked up and walked over to her father.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked her, looking at her curiously and a bit confusedly. "She should be in her room."

Katie leaned on the arm of the sofa, shrugging her small shoulders. "She's not there," she stated again.

"Hm-mmm," Peter murmured, coming closer to his daughter. "She probably sneaked out to the barn." He picked Katie up in his arms. "Let's go see." They started walking down the short hall to the kitchen. He spoke to his daughter, asking her and checking that Georgie wasn't in her bedroom. Katie was certain; Georgie was not there.

 _When all those shadows almost killed your light,_

 _I remember you said,_

 _Don't leave me here alone._

Lou was in the kitchen when they entered, her back to them, standing rigidly holding the house phone to her ear. She knew they were there, because she flinched upon hearing Peter's footsteps. "Hey, honey, Georgie's not in her room," he said in a whisper, acknowledging that she was on the phone. "She's probably hiding out with Phoenix. I'm taking Katie out to go get her."

Lou half turned toward him, her eyes flicking to his immediately. She didn't have to tell him to wait, because, in a moment, Peter saw that her face had gone pale and her eyes were wide and frightened, a million different emotions racing across her face.

"Lou?" Peter asked, a feeling of desperation clawing at his chest, but his voice was surprisingly steady. He felt himself lower Katie to the floor slowly, though he had no recollection of doing it.

"That was Amy," Lou replied, softly and slowly, like she couldn't find the words for what just happened, or this horrible thing couldn't be happening, it wasn't fathomable to think... But surely it was. "There's been an accident..."

Peter took a couple steps toward, and started to open his mouth to say something. Then, the door squeaked open, and Jack's voice filled the thick silence. "I can't believe that girl left that horse like that. She knows better than that, I'm going to have a talk with her-"

Jack stepped into the kitchen and trailed off upon seeing and feeling the distress in the air. He looked from Lou to Peter and back again. "What's going on?" he questioned.

Lou couldn't hold anything in anymore. "Georgie's been hurt..." she nearly choked on a sob, her hand covering her mouth.

 _But all that's dead and gone and passed_

 _tonight..._

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The scene had gone quiet, eerily quiet, but the flashing red and blue strobe lights were still on, causing everything to look a little hazy. Police were everywhere, walking and studying the scene, talking, and radios were crackling. Someone had turned on the house and yard lights, to illuminate things in the growing darkness. Amy almost wished they hadn't; it now looked like a television crime scene than it had nearly an hour ago. She pushed her phone into her pocket with numb, stiff fingers. The same hand that was stained red with blood. Georgie's blood. Amy couldn't feel the cold anymore and she had a small thought that she was in shock or experiencing some sort of post traumatic stress.

She looked down at the scene in front of her, the one she had stepped away from when the ambulance had arrived and the paramedics had taken over. She had presented no help and needed to make an important phone call. Now, Amy took a step closer to try to learn what was happening with Georgie. The two men worked over the young girl, efficiently and quickly.

"She's unresponsive and her blood pressure appears to be dropping," the young tan-skinned paramedic recited, looking over at his partner in worry.

The other paramedic was older, wiser, and looked as if he had seen this before and much worse. He was very calm, however. "I've stabilized her head, but we have to get moving. She just might start hemorrhaging on the way to the hospital," he explained, without taking his eyes off of his patient. Amy's heart flipped at the medical terms, just knowing that they sounded bad. Together and keeping Georgie's head still, the two paramedics lifted Georgie a couple inches off the sheets she had been lying on and onto a backboard. Then, they strapped her onto it and placed an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. The oxygen tube was attached to the stretcher.

"One, two, three!" They lifted Georgie up again, and slid the backboard onto the waiting stretcher. The whole time, Georgie just laid there, completely motionless. It was all uncharacteristic. Amy had to turn around and look away because of it.

 _Just close your eyes_

 _The sun is going down_

 _You'll be alright_

Amy gazed around at the ranch, and caught sight of something down near the front of ranch, where most of the police cars were lined up. It was a sight that caused her heart drop all the way down to her feet and an amount of hysteria laid in its' place. It was her husband, his hands bound behind him as he sat in the back of a police cruiser. A gasp escaped her lips. Ty might as well have heard that little sound, because it seemed in that second their eyes connected through the long distance.

"Miss?" the young paramedic approached her, touching her shoulder hesitantly. Amy jumped slightly, breaking the connection. She looked at the young man, who now looked apologetic for startling her. He touched the short ponytail his brown hair was tied into, self-consciously. "Are you family? Will you be riding in the ambulance with Miss Fleming-Morris?"

Amy stared at him, slowly realizing what he was saying. "Uh,..yeah," she answered. She turned her head back in Ty's direction. "Yes, just give me a minute." The latter came out as more of a mutter and she wasn't sure if they would actually adhere to her request.

Then, Amy took off running toward the group of police vehicles. She didn't know exactly what she would or could do, she just knew where she had to be. She just vaguely recalled passing a police officer pulling sheet over a dead body. Another police officer immediately stopped her, stepping in front of her and holding his hands out. His black hair was smooth and slick, his uniform was crisp and neat as a pin. The man crossed his arms over his chest, a more permanent way of keeping her back.

"Ma'am, you can't be here," the police officer told her, icily. "You can't interfere with police business."

"That's my husband," Amy tried to explain, rationally, but she wasn't sure how much she'd be able to keep up the facade. "Why is he in handcuffs? He didn't do anything."

"We have reasons to believe otherwise," the officer rebuffed, shortly. "We are still gathering evidence, but your husband seems to be facing a whole lot of trouble."

"I was here during the whole thing, as well," Amy argued, starting to hear her voice begin rising. "I can tell you for a fact what happened. This is all a big misunderstanding..."

"Ma'am, you will get a chance to give your statement to the police," Officer Conner advised her. "Until then, we need to follow procedure and so do you. Mr. Borden is a suspect in a murder case, and he will be treated as such."

"Murder?!" Amy exclaimed. "Ty didn't kill anyone!" Amy looked over the officer's shoulder. She could see Ty in the car, watching her, with a little desperation in his eyes. Desperation for her. "Ty, tell them! Tell them you didn't do anything!" Officer Conner had to hold Amy back from running straight to the car.

Ty was shaking his head at her, and he opened his mouth to say something. His mouth formed the words, but his voice was muffled through the car window that she didn't know what he said. Ty shook his head again, at himself this time, frustrated that he couldn't communicate with his wife.

"Please, I just want to talk to him!" Amy tried to plead with the stern officer in front of her.

"I'm sorry, I can't let you do that," Officer Conner remained firm. He looked ready to be done with this conversation and her, so Amy wasn't sure what else she could do.

She looked back at the car at Ty, and he had been watching her again. She wanted so badly just to go to him. Then, he leaned forward in his seat and said something to the police officer sitting in the driver's seat, who had been listening to the police radio. She didn't know what the exchange was about, but she all of a sudden had a fear in the pit of her stomach that he was asking the officer to drive, so that he would be away from her. Ty sat back against his seat again, finding her gaze again and looking apologetic. Then, the cop got out of the car, walking around to Ty's side.

The officer, who turned out to be a woman with her hair pulled back in a tight bun, opened the back of the police cruiser. She reached down and pulled Ty up and out by his arm. "One minute," she told Ty, then looked pointedly at Officer Conner. He wasn't one to like this small breach in protocol, but he wasn't going to argue with another cop. His expression was enough to show that he didn't like this.

Amy took a tentative step forward, keeping an eye on Conner, wondering if it was a test or not. He didn't stop her. The woman stepped past her. "Thank you," Amy smiled gratefully at her, as did Ty. The officer nodded efficiently at her, a small generous smile on her lips.

Amy didn't waste anymore time after that. She fast-stepped over to her husband, her hands going to his face on either side, leaving barely any room between them. Ty wished he could wrap his arms around her, but the damn handcuffs kept his hands bound behind his back. "Ty, what happened?" she questioned, "I heard the gunshot. They said you killed Hank, but that can't-"

"Don't worry about it, okay?" Ty interrupted her. "Everything is going to be fine, I'll be fine. You need to go to the hospital with Georgie. Did you call Lou, Peter, and the others?"

"Yes,..I did," Amy nodded, distractedly. "But, Ty, I can't just leave you!"

Ty was nodding before she finished talking. "Yes you can, and you will," he encouraged her. "Someone needs to be at the hospital to tell Lou what happened, you know she's going to be panicking."

Her mind went to her sister, and she glanced over her shoulder at the ambulance. The paramedics were getting ready to load Georgie inside. Amy turned back to Ty with tears in her eyes. "Ty, I'm scared. I'm scared for Georgie,...you," she admitted, in a whisper, her eyes on their feet and ground. "I don't know what's going to happen."

Ty sympathized with her, leaning his forehead against hers. "I know," he whispered back. He didn't tell her that he was scared, too, but, inside, he was terrified. This felt more real than anything that had happened in his past. He wasn't a kid anymore. "It's all going to be okay. We're going to be okay."

She kissed him desperately, before the officer could take him away. She kissed him with a fever that she never felt before, an aching desperate feeling clawing at her chest. Officer Conner came back over to them, taking Ty's arm. "Time's up," he stated.

"Go," Ty told her, firmly but gently, with a touch of urgency. "Now."

Amy stared after him, then when the cop started leading Ty back to the squad car, Amy turned around and started walking to the ambulance. On a second thought, Amy swung back around quickly. "Ty!" she called.

Ty caught her gaze as he was bending into the police car, Conner helping him duck his head in. Amy's heart tore at the sight. "I love you!" Amy called to him.

Ty blinked back tears, trying to be brave, and nodded back to her. He didn't have to say it back, she could see his love for her shining in his eyes. Amy turned back around fast before she collapsed right there in a fit of tears. She needed to be strong, for Georgie, her family. She approached the ambulance, where they were just about to close the doors. The young paramedic saw her and held the door open for her, flashing a small reassuring smile at her. Amy climbed inside and found a seat along the side. Georgie was laying completely still, and the dim lighting didn't help with Georgie's complexion. She was still extremely pale. It was disconcerting.

Amy turned away and looked out the door window. The police car holding Ty was beginning to pull away, and she could just make him out in the back seat. He had his head back, looking withdrawn and nearly defeated. Amy felt a couple tears slide down her cheeks at the thought that this might be the last time she saw him.

 _No one can hurt you now_

 _Come morning light,_

 _You and I'll be_

 _Safe and Sound_

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It was a slow night at Cross Bow Hospital, where the doctors and nurses had their regular patients to tend to and only about three minor patients in the ER. So, the peace was essentially shattered when the emergency room doors burst open by a family looking for their child, who had been badly hurt. The seven month pregnant woman, who led the way, walked straight to nurses' desk purposefully. The other three men that were with her followed behind her.

"Hi, excuse me," Lou said to the blond nurse sitting at the desk, tapping her hand several times on the counter to make sure she had the nurse's attention. The nurse looked up at her, her pen poised from where she had been writing in a patient's file. Lou gave her a tense smile. "Hi, my daughter was in accident," she began to explain. "Brown hair, thirteen years old. Her name is Georgina Fleming-Morris, has she been admitted yet?" Peter placed his hands on his wife's shoulders to help calm her down, and Lou glanced at him real quick, gratefully.

The nurse looked through her files, rather slowly and not as thorough as Lou would have liked. "Fleming-Morris, you said?" the nurse repeated. "No one has been admitted under that name. Do you know when the ambulance was dispatched?"

Lou stifled a groan of frustration, turning slightly away while rubbing her hand across her eyes toward Peter. He murmured 'it's okay' several times to her, rubbing her back in soothing circles. Tim squeezed forward in the group, leaning on the counter to look the nurse in the eye. "Look, _Sophie_ , my daughter called from a ranch across town or whatever, saying that my granddaughter was severely hurt and unconscious. Now, you tell us what you know or get someone who does know something."

Sophie swallowed, nervously. She shuffled through her papers again. "Well,um,...we had a emergency call from an Amy Fleming-Borden. It appears to fit what you're looking for: a young girl with a head injury," the nurse looked up at them, expecting confirmation. "I believe the ambulance is en route right now. They should be here any minute."

"Thank you," Peter grinned appreciatively at her, apologizing for his father-in-law's harsh manner.

"See, was that so hard?" Tim replied, sarcastically.

Jack gave him a look, turned toward Sophie with a softened glance. "Do you know how good or bad Georgie's condition is?" he asked.

"I'm sorry. All we know right now is that she sustained some kind of severe head injury," Sophie explained as best as she could. "The appropriate medical team and procedure are being prepped for any kind of problem. We won't know anything concrete until she has been admitted." Everybody seemed disheartened at this news.

"Oh my god," Lou muttered, turning and walking a few paces away. Peter followed after her.

"Hey, it's all going to be okay," Peter reassured her.

"How? How do you know that?" Lou said back, facing him. "Because, apparently, no one here knows anything about what is going on with our daughter. For all we know, she-"

"Shhhh, don't go there, don't go there," Peter shushed her, gently. He touched her arms and then pulled her slowly into a hug. "We're going to hope for the best. Georgie has the best care waiting for her."

Lou nodded against his chest, sniffing back a sob. "I'm just so scared, Peter," she whispered, holding him back tightly.

"I know," Peter whispered, against her hair. "Me too."

"Hey, hey, I think they're here!" Tim announced, looking toward the emergency room doors.

Lou and Peter pulled apart, just as those doors flew open. Two paramedics sprinted inside, pushing a stretcher. The body on it was small, a head brace keeping her head still and and oxygen mask breathing for her. The family gaped at what they were seeing, horror and disbelief gluing them to the floor.

"Peter, oh my god!" Lou exclaimed, taking a couple steps forward to her daughter. Peter took her arms, keeping her back out of the way.

A doctor appeared from somewhere, approaching an unconscious Georgie and the paramedics. "What do we have?" he questioned, crisply and authoritative.

"Thirteen year old female minor, severe trauma to the head," one of the paramedics relayed to the doctor. "She began hemorrhaging in the ambulance..." He began fading away as they rolled the stretcher into an exam room and the doctor pulled the curtain closed around them.

Lou started to follow, but then she caught sight of a blond head coming through the doors. "Amy!" she called, and ran over to her sister. Amy looked startled, jarred from her own thoughts. "Amy, what happened?"

"I don't know," Amy muttered, "I don't know, it all happened so fast."

"Amy, what?" Lou repeated, frantically. "How did my daughter end up in the emergency room?!"

"The same way that Ty is sitting in a jail cell right now!" Amy exclaimed. "Georgie had sneaked into the back of the truck and she didn't listen when we told her to stay in the truck. When we tried to rescue Spiridon, Hank grew out of control and violent; he pulled a gun on us. Georgie got in the middle and when he shoved her, that's when she hit her head." Lou covered her mouth with her hand.

"Wait, Ty has been arrested?" Jack replied, appalled. "Why?"

Amy took a deep breath, before speaking. "The police think that he killed Hank Caldwell," she explained. "And I have no idea if that's true or not. I don't want to believe it."

"What?" nearly everybody else chorused.

"If Ty killed that guy, than it was clearly self defense," Tim reasoned.

"I don't know, but that's what I have to believe," Amy shrugged her shoulders. "Ty got into a fight with him, but I didn't witness it directly because I was trying to help Georgie. I only heard the gunshot. He told me to come here with her, but I have to be with him. I have-have- have to go to him. I need to be there, he needs me. Oh, I don't have a car!" She threw her hands in the air, frustratedly.

"Ok, ok, calm down. You did good, Amy. I'll take you to the police station," Jack told her, pulling her into a comforting hug. Lou patted her sister's back.

"No, Jack, you stay here and wait for news on Georgie," Tim volunteered, "I'll take her." He put his hand on his daughter's back. "C'mon, honey."

"Thanks, dad," Amy said, quietly, wiping away some stray tears.

"You're not going to cause a scene, are you, dad?" Lou asked, taking a step toward her sister.

"Now, why would I cause a scene?" Tim replied, innocently, lightening the mood a little bit.

Lou rolled her eyes, and Amy chuckled a little bit, sniffling. Lou wrapped her arms around her sister in a hug, and Amy hugged her back. "Ty is going to be okay," she whispered, soothingly, stroking Amy's blond hair. "He's going to come home to you."

Amy nodded against her sister's shoulder, pulling herself together. "And Georgie is going to beat this," Amy whispered back, in Lou's ear. "She's the strongest girl I know."

In that moment, both sister's believed each other's words.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, did you like it? I hope it was worth the wait. The song lyrics at the beginning was 'Safe and Sound' by Taylor Swift. Remember, take a look at the trailer I made for the story; link is in my profile. And, don't forget to review the chapter; I love hearing all of your thoughts and feelings.


	13. Hold My Hand

**A/N:** Hey, guys. So, I am so sorry for keeping you guys hanging for so long. For the last month, it felt like I've been battling a form of writer's block. I just seemed to have a little motivation problem. I wanted to write, I wanted to get this chapter to you guys, but I just couldn't make myself do it. On top of all that, two times my computer gave me an attitude or something and I lost the whole file. The first time it happened I was almost done, so I nearly cried. Then, when it happened the second time, I wanted to punch a wall. I'm ready to wash my hands of this chapter and move on, so I apologize if this chapter isn't as good as the others. I am still very much interested in this story and I hope I can get back on track. Hopefully, there are still some people reading that haven't given up on this story. Enjoy, :)

* * *

 **~ Chapter Twelve ~**

 **~~ Hold My Hand ~~**

The precinct was abuzz with activity, due to the recent tragedy that had taken place in Hudson just a couple hours ago. Every officer had either been at the scene or heard about it. So when the top suspect was marched into the building, of course, they all had to turn and stare. Ty held himself with dignity, despite the humilating situation. He kept his eyes trained in front of him and his mouth shut, even as he felt the weight of the officers' suspicious and disdainful gazes. The woman officer from earlier was the one who was leading him forward, her hand on his handcuffed wrists gently. Her hand was there for show; she was the one cop who had the trust in him that he wouldn't try to run. He appreciated that.

The woman led him into a square, gray interrogation room. It was bare, except for a metal table and chairs in the very center and a water cooler against the side wall. The water looked refreshing to his dry mouth, but he averted his gaze as the officer walked him around the table. She pulled the chair out and gestured for him to sit. She unlocked one of his hands from the handcuffs, and instead, handcuffed him to the table. The woman left the room after that, the door clicking shut and leaving Ty alone.

Ty sighed, letting out a long breath and started to rake his hand through his hair. His hand was jerked back down to the table abruptly, the handcuff once again reminding him of his predicament. He laid both of his hands on the table, his fingertips touching the other. How did his life go from being happily married to the woman he loved most in the world to being arrested for murder in the span of a few hours? From the time that Georgie fell unconscious to when the police officers detained him, all felt like a wild blur.

 _The two men hit the ground, the sharp impact on the ground sending a jarring jolt through Ty's body. He landed on top of Hank and began laying all that he had onto the other man. His arm was pulling back then striking forward, connecting with Hank's jaw, all in the span of a second. Ty repeated the action two more times, before Hank grabbed his wrist and, using all of his weight, he pushed Ty off of him. Ty lost control, falling to the ground, and the brutal man took advantage of that. Hank yanked Ty's arm behind him and pushed him into the dirt, placing his knee in the middle of Ty's back to hold him there further. Pain went through Ty's wrist and he thought for sure it was going to snap at any minute._

 _Hank leaned down toward Ty's ear. He spoke with malice, like a bull bearing down on a matador, his hot breath burning Ty's skin. "You messed with the wrong person, boy!" Hank warned. "As soon as I'm finished with you, I think I'll show your girl a little something about respect."_

 _Ty froze, and then he felt his blood boil and a rage raced through him that he never felt before. He picked his head up out of the dirt, gritting his teeth. He spat dirt out of his mouth. "You aren't going to to touch her!"_

The sound of the door opening again broke Ty out of his memory. Ty's gaze shot up to the man coming in, dressed in black slacks and a green shirt with a dark tie. He carried a case folder in his hand, holding it against his torso, and he looked at Ty out of the corner of his eye as he shut the door behind him. One of his eyebrows raised mockingly at Ty's startled reaction.

"Thinking of your homicidal behavior this evening?" the man retorted. Ty turned his head away, choosing instead to ignore the officer's jab. The man dropped the file down on the tabletop with a thwack. Ty eyed it like it was a horrible disease, then he dragged his eyes upward again. "I am Detective Elijah Thompson, and I will be leading this case," he introduced himself. He pulled the other chair out and sat himself down opposite Ty.

Ty kept his gaze level with the detective's, without saying a word. Detective Thompson pursed his lips at his suspect's silence, opening up the case file. "Now, you and your wife, along with the minor Georgina Fleming-Morris, were at Mr. Caldwell's ranch around 6:00 pm this evening,...trespassing?" He looked up at Ty when he finished his question, waiting for confirmation.

Ty remained quiet. He licked his lips and refolded his hands on the table, glancing down. "I'm not answering any questions until I have a lawyer present," he replied, looking back up.

Elijah sighed and closed the case file. He leaned back in his chair with his hand laying flat on the folder, staring straight at Ty. "Is that your final decision, Mr. Borden?" he asked, firmly.

Ty gave one short nod, the handcuff clanking on the table.

Detective Thompson tisked and stood back up abruptly, the chair's legs scraping along the floor loudly. "Alright, I'll bring you a phone, or else we will provide a public defender for you," he sighed, swiping the folder off of the table and moved toward the door. He pulled the door open, then he turned back to Ty with a knowing smirk. "But you should know that the ones who refuse to cooperate, are the ones with the most to hide."

The detective left with a click of the door, and Ty was alone again in the small room. He sniffed, turning his head toward the ceiling. There was a camera in the corner of the ceiling with a red blinking light and Ty knew that he was being watched. What would that camera show, a man guilty of murder or a man who had overcome a lot in his life and now was deep over his head from the chain of events that had quickly taken control over his life.

 _Fists flew hard, fast, one right after the other. Blood started spreading, but whose it was wasn't clear. A fist landed in someone's stomach and that victim toppled over on the ground. The other body went after him, pinning him to the ground by his wrists. He had been reaching something just out of his reach, and the man on top glanced up from his fury, seeing what it was. The rifle. Both men stared at it and then back at each other._

Ty blinked, a cold sweat dripping down his spine. What did he do?

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I wish they would just tell us something," Peter sighed, as he paced around the small waiting area inside of Crossbow Hospital. He, Lou, and Jack had been sitting there, in near silence, for about a half hour. No one had come to tell them anything about Georgie, except for Sophie the nurse. Ten minutes ago, she had told them that the doctor would be out to see them, but she had said it amid doing her other work, so they weren't sure how true that was.

"If they're not telling us anything, than they're working on Georgie and that is enough for me," Jack murmured, switching from leaning his chin from one hand to the other on the armrests of his chair.

Peter looked at him, seeing the logic in his words. He released a light breath and moved to sit down next to his wife. Lou was sitting forward in her seat, her hands clasped together over a small object. Amy had passed to her before she left for the police station. The paramedics had taken it off of Georgie when they were helping her and Amy managed to save the small but special object. It was a simple string bracelet in various colors of the rainbow. Katie had made it for her big sister and she had been so happy and proud of it that Georgie had promised to never take it off. Lou blinked back tears for the umpteenth time, but the tears never fully went away.

Lou lifted her head, nodding in agreement. "You're right, they're taking care of her," she said. "The doctors are going to bring her back to us. We have to believe that." She held the bracelet against her chest, next to her heart. Peter flashed a small reassuring smile and nodded, putting his hand on her back and moving it around in a circle. Lou leaned into him.

They were quiet again, until the double doors opened and a middle-aged man emerged. He was dressed in a lab coat and scrubs, his black hair combed back neatly. He spoke with Sophie for a minute, and then she made a motion toward the waiting area, where they were all sitting. They sat up straighter as the doctor turned to look at them. He seemed to draw in a deep breath, then he began walking over to them. Lou slipped her hand into Peter's, allowing him to help her stand up. Jack stood up as well.

"Are you the family of Georgina Fleming-Morris?" the doctor questioned, stopping and folding his hands together in front of his body. "I am Dr. Eugene Seymour." He held out his hand, and they all shook his hand in turn.

"Yes, how is she?" Lou answered, worriedly, after shaking his hand. She took an extra step forward, her hand on her belly.

Dr. Seymour didn't hesitate, knowing that the family had already been waiting for a long time and needed some answers. "First off, let me say that I am so sorry this has happened to your family," They all nodded their appreciation for the doctor's sympathy, and Lou liked the doctor a lot more because of that. They didn't speak, though, letting the doctor continue. "Georgina has sustained severe head trauma to the back of her head. I call it an amazing strength of will that she is even still hanging on." Lou covered her mouth with her hand, as the terror at how serious this was stabbed her in the heart. "She was hemorrhaging, but we got her stabilized for now. The back of her skull is fractured from the two hits she received. She is stable, like I said, but she still very critical. Georgina will need surgery, and the sooner, the better."

A quiet gasp slipped out of Lou's mouth, past her fingers, and she leaned into Peter. His arm went around her, his strength and comfort holding her up. He kissed her temple distractedly but no less reassuringly. Jack rubbed his hand down his face, pursing his lips, and then placing his hands on his hips.

"And she'll recover after this surgery?" Jack asked, trying to get all the information he can. It was better than imagining his fearless Georgie fighting for her life.

The doctor gave them nothing but the truth. He replied, shrugging his shoulders, "It is too soon to tell right now, but the surgery will significantly improve her chances. All surgeries are risky, but in this case, it will be even riskier to wait. This is Georgina's best chance at survival, and we'll have a somewhat better prognosis afterward."

There was small, tense silence as the family digested this somewhat good news. Lou looked back at the doctor. "Can we see her?" she asked, almost in a whisper, hugging herself.

"Of course," Dr. Seymour nodded, "Follow me."

The doctor turned and started going back the way he came before. Lou, Peter, and Jack followed him. He stopped at the intimidating double doors, and held the door open for them when they were ready. They entered a semi-large circular area, ringed with curtained cubicles and another nurses' desk in the center. There more nurses in here, shuffling around, working quietly. There was a long hallway leading away from this area at the far right of the room.

"Right this way."

Dr. Seymour began walking again, skirting around the desk, and heading toward the group of cubicles at the back. The smell of disinfectant and sickness was stronger here than it was back out in the waiting room. There was a loud cry as they passed by some of the cubicles. Lou felt her heart constrict in her chest, for the sudden fear that her daughter was crying out for her and there was nothing she could do. She didn't want to be in this part of the hospital, especially for the reason why she was there. But the cry wasn't Georgie's; of course, it wasn't. They passed an open cubicle, and Lou could see the upset twelve year old girl sitting up on the bed. A doctor was checking out what was most likely a broken arm. The girl's father knelt in front of her, trying to console her with comforting words and funny stories. Her tenderhearted mother stood at the back, wringing her hands nervously and chattering away about she didn't know how this could have happened, Caroline was always so careful on her bike.

Lou had to look away. She was envious of the little family, who were concerned over such a normal minor injury. Of course, no child should have to suffer through physical or emotional pain, but in that moment, she was jealous. She would have done anything to not be walking down this hall right now, toward her unconscious daughter, and this hollowed out pit of fear and turmoil in her stomach. After what felt like an eternity when in actuality it took barely a minute, they were all stopped outside a curtained cubicle.

Dr. Seymour clapped his hands together softly. "Here we are," he announced. "I have a nurse prepping Georgie for surgery, but I will advise her of your visit. Furthermore, I can only allow one person in at a time." He smiled gently and apologetically at them.

The three of them looked at each other, and almost immediately Peter and Jack both nodded toward Lou. She looked back and forth between them. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah, you should be the first one to go in," Jack said, touching Lou's shoulder. "I think it's what Georgie would want."

"I agree. Go ahead, honey," Peter replied, kissing her temple and giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Lou looked at each of them, and then moved closer to the cubicle, next to the doctor. Dr. Seymour didn't open the curtain right away. He looked at her with compassion on his face. "What you see may seem overwhelming and daunting, but remember, underneath all of that stuff, is your daughter," he told her. "Just prepare yourself."

Lou just nodded quietly, a small thankful smile on her lips. Dr. Seymour pulled back the blue curtain. The dark-skinned nurse, who was tending to Georgie, turned at the sound of their entrance, but she didn't halt in her work. "Nurse Kiara, I have the family here for a visit," Dr. Seymour explained. "Finish up prepping her and give them a moment alone." The nurse nodded, cheerfully, fiddling with Georgie's IV bag.

All of that happening was just background noise to Lou's ears. She couldn't really hear any of the words, her vision had narrowed down to one single focal point and everything else was just a blur and white noise. Her daughter. Her wild, heart-of-gold, thirteen year old daughter laying completely motionless on the hospital bed straight ahead.

"Georgie?..." Lou said, her voice coming out in a whisper, cracking a little. She stepped forward slowly. When she got close to the bed, her hand trailed over the bed rail. Georgie's arms and legs looked pale, sticking out from the hospital gown Kiara had dressed her in. The IV drip tube ran down the inside of her left arm, ending inside of her at her wrist. She was hooked up to a bunch of other machines, the heart monitor beeping out its' usual steady rhythm. Or, was it beeping too slow...too fast? Suddenly, Georgie's lifeline seemed even more fragile. Lou stopped at the head of the bed. An oxygen mask covered her nose and mouth temporarily, and her dark hair was fanned out around her head on the crisp white pillow. She had a couple of scrapes and abrasions on her face and arms, but none of that put as much fear into Lou's heart as seeing the white bandage wrapped around Georgie's head. A small spot of blood had seeped through bandage. Lou leaned heavily on the bed, nearly losing her ability to stand.

She watched the nurse cover Georgie up with a blanket. Kiara gave Lou a reassuring smile, one that Lou could barely return, and the nurse left with a swoosh of the curtain. Lou turned back to her daughter.

"How did this happen, Georgie?" Lou questioned. Silence fell again as she reached out and touched her daughter's soft hair. She pushed her hand all the way through, and then did it again, this time holding a lock of it with her fingertips. "How could _I_ let this happen?"

Lou sighed, and dropped the hair. She leaned her elbow down on the bed, leaning close to Georgie's ear. "I don't blame you, Georgie," she replied, softly. "None of us do. We all just want you to be okay, Georgie." She couldn't stop saying her name, she didn't know why. "We want you to jump up excitedly and start telling us about this latest adventure. Tell us how you know what you did was wrong, but so was the other guy and how good the whole thing made you feel."

She slid her hand down the length of the bed, until she found Georgie's hand. It was cold, which startled her a bit and she just wanted to rub it to warm her up, but she clasped her daughter's hand in her hand instead. "So,...," Lou took a deep breath before continuing, and willed herself not to start crying. "I want you to squeeze my hand as hard as you can, and let me know that you are still with us, fighting with all your might."

It was a tense, quiet couple of seconds. Lou stared at Georgie's still face, all of her senses keyed into the young girl in front of her, just waiting for any sign of life. It was getting harder and harder to keep her tears at bay. "Georgie, c'mon, squeeze my hand," she urged, gently. "Please. Tell me that you're still here."

 _Beep...Beep...Beep..._

Lou drew a breath and let it out with a whoosh, unintentionally allowing a tear to slip down her cheek. She reached out with a shaking hand and stroked Georgie's hair again. "Please,...Georgie,...baby," she started to cry. She couldn't hold back anymore and collapsed down on the bed, her face in Georgie's shoulder and her arm across her chest.

"Please..."

Lou didn't know how much time had passed before she felt herself being swept up off the bed and into someone's arms. She didn't fight him, she just wrapped her arms around him and cried into his shoulder. She heard herself murmuring something over and over again, and it kind of sounded like 'It's not fair'. He just held her and let her cry. Lou glanced over his shoulder, seeing the nurses begin to wheel Georgie out of the cubicle to go to surgery. She turned her head, burying her face more into his shoulder; she didn't want to watch that.

Peter held onto her, moving his hand in circles over her back and making shushing sounds in her ear. Lou clung to him as she let everything go, her cries and sobs starting to wrack her body. She fell down into a torrent of sorrow, disbelief, and fear. Wave after wave of emotion hit her, until she wasn't sure if she'd ever find her way back to the surface.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The hall outside the interrogation room was quiet and empty, from what Ty could hear. There had been a total of four set of footsteps on different occasions down that hall since he had been stuck in this room. The first one was right after he had been placed in here, which felt like hours ago. The second was when Detective Thompson came in to question him, and then the third when he left, his footsteps receding down the hallway. That was probably about ten minutes ago. The last pair of footsteps was just a passerby. Everybody out in that squad room had watched as he had been traipsed through an hour ago, and now when they glance at this door, all they care to know is that a 'murderer' sat inside. That was the worst part, seeing in all of the officer's eyes that they all thought he was guilty, without any proof or evidence. Ty dropped his head with a long, drawn out sigh, his free hand rubbing the back of his neck. He hated how he got here, sitting in this room not knowing anything as everybody else dug around and decided things about his life.

Then, the door opened and the next few moments was a blur and drawn out at the same time. Ty picked his head up, and saw the familiar blonde woman standing slightly behind the police officer, who had opened the door. Her eyes were wide and fearful, her mouth opened slightly, her jeans were dirty from the ground, and she seemed to have a red tinges of blood everywhere on her in small places, but mostly on her hands. Ty felt himself standing up slowly, his chair squeaking backward a little. He had felt nothing but turmoil, regret, and frustration literally a second ago, but now, upon seeing her, all of those emotions were brushed away like feathers in the wind and he could breathe again.

"Amy..."

With that one barely whispered word, a gate was broken. Amy spoke his name, though he couldn't hear her, and her face contorted into tears. She rushed forward, pushing past the officer, and into the interrogation room. Ty tried to hold out both arms, but his left arm was yanked down, of course, so he just held out one arm. Amy fell into his arms across the table, her own arms wrapping him tightly. They stood like that leaning over the table, holding each other.

 _Our story binds us_

 _Like right and wrong_

 _Your hand in mine_

 _Marching to the beat of the storm_

"Five minutes," the police officer said, and then closed the door. They were alone, but Ty knew that the officer was standing just outside the door. They pulled apart, their hands lingering on each other, not wanting to separate. Ty's hand cupped her cheek, and Amy held his wrist to keep the contact.

"I can't believe I'm actually in here with you," Amy confided, looking into his eyes. "I was actually afraid I wouldn't see you again."

Ty ran his thumb along her cheek. "It's okay," he told her, and he felt himself calming down, too. They finally separated and lowered themselves in the chairs across from each other. "How's Georgie?"

Amy reached across the table and took his hand, avoiding the one that was handcuffed. "I left almost as soon as I got to the hospital. Lou, Peter, Dad, and Grandpa were all there; Lou understood that I needed to be here with you," Amy admitted, talking to the table. "The paramedics didn't tell me much, but I could tell..." She glanced back up to look at Ty. "Ty, it's really bad."

Ty stifled a groan, slipping his hand out of Amy's and rubbed it down his face. "This is my fault," he said, through his hand, "If I taken care of Hank sooner, subdued him quicker, Georgie wouldn't be fighting for her life right now."

"Ty," Amy replied, firmly, taking his hand back. "None of us could have predicted this outcome. We didn't know that Hank could be that volatile." She stopped and didn't continue until Ty dropped his hand and slowly brought his gaze up to her face. "You did your best of what you could do, and I am proud of you for standing up and trying to protect Georgie and me."

 _And we walk together into the light_

 _And my love will be your armor tonight_

 _We are lionhearts_

They were quiet for a minute, just sitting there with Amy holding Ty's hand. "If anything, I shouldn't have convinced you to go get that horse," Amy murmured, looking off at the far wall. "It was stupid and dangerous, and not worth it." She bit her lip, feeling ashamed.

"No." It was quick and sharp, and made Amy whip her head back around to her husband. He was looking at her firmly and urgently. He switched their hands, this time he was holding hers. "Out of the things that happened tonight, trying to rescue that horse will be not be one your regrets. Understood?" he insisted. Amy watched him. "You are Amy Fleming-Borden, my wife, the woman I married and whom I love, and she fights for abused and mistreated horses. I will support and fight for _her_ until my dying breath. Do you hear me?" He squeezed her hand.

Amy couldn't help the two tears that dripped fast down her cheeks. She nodded, foggy-eyed. "Promise?" she whispered.

"I promise," Ty stated, kissing her hand. Amy held his kiss and his promise close to heart. She wasn't sure how much he knew that she was counting on that promise, that he was going to get out of this and stay with her forever. That promise, whether held or broken, was going to carry Amy through many sleepless nights.

 _And we stand together facing a war_

 _And our love is gonna conquer it all_

 _We are lionhearts_

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, how did you all like it? Those song lyrics are Demi Lovato's 'Lionheart'. I'm sorry again for the long wait, but I hope this chapter made up for it. If I have any readers left, please review and let me know your thoughts. :)


	14. Arraignment

**A/N:** Thank you again to everybody who read and reviewed the last chapter. I'm so sorry for LONG wait. I kind of had to take a small break so that I could back more focused on the story. I'm back now. I'm so happy that I didn't lose a lot of readers from the long wait. Here's the next chapter as promised. Enjoy :)

* * *

 **~ Chapter Thirteen ~**

 **~~ Arraignment ~~**

The Hudson County Courthouse was a small brick building in the middle of town. The lobby was quiet, but a few people were moving here and there, shoes tapping on the wood floor. Amy shifted her feet, clad in a pair of high heels, which felt strange; she hadn't worn a pair of heels since her wedding. She smoothed her hands down over the blue dress she wore. It was a simple dress with short sleeves and a v-neck neckline, and the dress ended at her knees. Amy crossed her arms and did a half turn, her stomach was a fluttery nervous wreck. Her nerves had actually caused her to throw up this morning.

"Amy, sweetheart, come sit down," Tim said from his seat next to Jack on a bench against the wall. His cowboy hat sat on his other side on the bench. "That's the third person you've nearly walked into."

Amy looked up just in time to see a woman who obviously worked here, wearing a pantsuit, skirt around her with an almost annoyed expression on her face. "Sorry," Amy muttered, though the woman had already passed. She sighed and took the couple steps over to her father and grandfather. "I just can't stop obsessing over Ty's arraignment," she admitted, "This decides whether Ty goes to trial or not. Either way, our life together will change."

"You can't dwell on that stuff," Tim told her, calmly. He reached out to her, his hand touching her elbow, pulling her toward the bench. He and Jack both slid over on the bench, and Amy sat down slowly between them, her eyes cast downward. "Think about the positives. Mr. Dowell is a very good lawyer and he is confident that he can get Ty out on bail." He patted Amy's leg. "Don't worry another minute about it."

"It's definitely a time for family to come together if I'm agreeing with your father," Jack agreed, giving Tim a sidelong glance behind Amy's back. "but he is right. Deep breaths and stay calm. No sense in getting worked up over something we don't know yet."

Amy nodded, releasing a deep breath. "You're right. I need to stay calm, at least for Ty's sake." She rubbed her hands together, as if shaking off the worry. "Let's talk about something else," Amy looked up and turned toward Jack. "How is Georgie doing, Grandpa?"

It was Jack's turn to sigh, as he leaned back against the wall, his hands on his hips. "The doctor took her into surgery late last night. She had severe head trauma," he explained. "She was still in surgery when I left. Peter said that he would call when she was out of surgery and how she was doing." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and studied it. "As far I can I tell, that hasn't happened yet."

Smirking, Amy bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Jack's ever present cluelessness over technology made Amy feel giddy. She realized that this feeling felt good after hours of feeling distraught, desperate, and sorrowful. But it was a fleeting moment as she regained the seriousness of it all. "I can't believe this is happening to Georgie," Amy said, shaking her head. "You have to believe me, grandpa, Ty and I did everything we could to try to protect her. We told her to stay in the truck, but you know Georgie..."

"I know you did," Jack nodded, reaching his hand out slowly and patting her leg. "And I know Georgie, too. I know nothing could have stopped that girl from trying to rescue that horse. So, don't you think any more about it."

"Yeah," Amy murmured, facing forward and leaning on her knees, clasping her hands together. "I feel so bad for Lou. Her child is badly hurt and I wasn't there for her." She turned her head to look at Jack. "Was I being selfish, grandpa?"

"No," Jack reassured, drawing the word out, putting his arm around Amy. "Lou understands. You are both being faced with some tremendous challenges right now. No one is going to hold anything against you."

Amy nodded quietly and laid her head down on Jack's shoulder. Tim rubbed his daughter's back, too. "We're going to get him out of this," he told her, confidently. "It's an easy win."

Suddenly, the main doors of the courthouse opened, an officer holding each door. Amy, Jack, and Tim jumped to their feet, watching. A third officer led Ty inside, surprisingly with no handcuffs on; the officer just kept his hand firmly on Ty's shoulder, pushing him forward. His green eyes were fixed on the floor, and he wore the clothes that Amy had brought to the police station for him for this occasion; black slacks, a light blue dress shirt, and a blue and white striped tie.

"Ty!" Amy couldn't stop herself from calling out. It was if her heart was calling, reaching, out for him. His head jerked up and he found her almost immediately. Their eyes locked and held. Ty whispered her name, conscious of the police officers by his side. Amy didn't let the cops stop her; she sprinted forward all the way to Ty.

Ty forgot about the police as he caught Amy in his arms. He wrapped his arms around her waist, his face burrowing in her shoulder. Amy had her arms wrapped almost tightly around Ty's neck, afraid to let him go again. "I was so scared that I wasn't going to see you again," she cried, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

"Shhhh, it's okay," Ty soothed, shushing her cries. He held her tightly. "Everything is going to be okay."

Impulsively, Amy let out burst of laughter. She pulled back in his arms a little bit to look at him. "I should be telling you that," she said to his confused expression. Her hands remained locked on his waist. "Everybody have been telling me that same thing, but how come when you say it, I actually believe it."

Ty smiled at her warmly, his hands moving up and down on her arms reassuringly. "It's all I can allow myself to believe right now," he admitted to her. "And looking at you makes it a little bit easier to do so." Amy looked at him, almost ready to start crying. He pulled her against him again, wanting to feel her solid, calming presence. Ty kissed her cheek, and Amy held onto him.

All too soon, one of the police officers took Ty's arm to pull him away from his short-lived reunion with his wife. "It's time to go in," he said, curtly.

A small glimpse of panic flashed in Amy's eyes. She kissed his lips fast, almost desperately. "I love you," she whispered to him after the kiss, her forehead touching his. Ty mouthed it back to her, and then they were pulled apart. Ty was escorted into the courtroom by an officer on either side of him.

Amy stood there watching him.

"Well, I guess it's now or never," Tim replied, as he and Jack came up from behind her. Amy swallowed nervously and nodded. Jack put an arm around his granddaughter, and they walked towards the courtroom.

The courtroom was filling up slowly with spectators, finding their seats and murmuring low conversations. The spacious room was meticulous, spotless, and plainly boring. All of the wood in the room was mahogany, from the bench seats to the judge's bench and the wood paneling. The lighting was sharp and bright. This was one of the biggest things to happen in Hudson, and everybody was curious and interested to know what will happen. It was late April, a beautiful spring day. Though the sky was blue and there was a warm breeze, all of that was the furthest from some people's mind.

Ty sat at the defendant's table, hands folded on top of the table and eyes cast downward. His lawyer sat beside him, looking through his papers and preparing to make his case on his client's behalf. Ty could feel everybody's criticizing gazes on him. They were surely trying to determine just by his posture and such whether he was guilty or innocent. He tried to ignore it and put it out of his mind, but everything that had happened in the past couple of days weighed heavily on him.

The bailiff was a broad, tall man in uniform, standing guard over the room. He stepped forward and cleared his throat to get the room's attention. "All rise!" the man announced, in a steady booming voice. "The honorable Judge Victoria Winthrop is presiding."

Everybody stood in unison as the side door opened. An older woman, about in her fifties, with graying blonde hair and a tan, weathered face, dressed in black robes entered the room. She walked confidently to her judge's bench, all eyes trained on her silently. She climbed up, and sat down in her chair, nodding to the audience in her court. "You may be seated," she instructed everybody. Once again, all of the people sat down in unison. The judge studied the papers in front of her, after having slid on her glasses, then she banged her gavel two short times to call everybody to attention again.

"This is case number 7934, the commonwealth vs. Ty Borden," Judge Winthrop announced. She glanced up from the file, peering over her glasses. "Will the defendant please rise?"

Ty stood up from his chair a little too quickly, the legs of the chair squeaking on the wood floor. He smoothed down his blue and white striped tie and his light blue shirt. Ty started to place his hands on the table in front of him, but then thought that that would present him in a negative light. He just clasped his hands together in front of him. He wet his lips, swallowing, as he waited for the judge to continue.

"Mr. Borden, you have been charged with the murder of Hank Caldwell," Judge Winthrop stated. "How do you plead?"

Ty stood quietly, keeping his eyes level on the judge. He allowed his lawyer to speak for him, as he was instructed to do. His lawyer was only an inch shorter than him and was dressed completely in a suit. He had russet brown hair and was a little chunky. "Not guilty, you honor," Ty's lawyer, Joseph Dowell, answered.

"I see," Judge Winthrop replied, raising her eyebrows, looking back down at the papers in front of her. "I see here that bail has been proposed at $100,000 dollars." She glanced back up, expectantly.

"Yes, your honor." This time, the prosecutor stood up. She was a prim and proper woman, her dark hair pulled back on top of her head, and was dressed in a navy blue knee length pencil skirt, a navy blue blazer, and red orange blouse underneath. "The defendant's lawyer and I have come to an agreement that Mr. Borden does not present a threat to the public as of now. We propose that he be placed on house arrest until the date of his trial."

Judge Winthrop sighed, taking off her glasses. She looked out at the two lawyers and Ty. "Well, I disagree. I'm denying bail," the judge said.

Ty felt his heart sink down to his stomach as his breath caught in his throat. He heard muffled gasps of protest from behind him, and he had to forcibly tell himself not to turn around. If Ty looked at his family and friends, he would for sure lose his strength and resolve.

Judge Winthrop continued, "This is not some fight in the school yard, counselors. This is murder. From what I see here, Mr. Borden has a record and a past of trying to evade the police. I deem Mr. Borden a flight risk, and order that he be transported to the Hudson Penitentiary to await trial on May 6th." Judge Winthrop banged her gavel once. "Court is adjourned." She gathered her papers together, and climbed down from the bench, departing the courtroom.

Ty remained standing as two guards approached him. He kept his chin up, while the guards handcuffed his hands behind his back a little roughly. Ty stared straight ahead, at an unknown and bleak future.

"No, no, Ty!"

Ty didn't, _couldn't_ , turn around. Surely if he turned around and saw Amy reaching for him, he'd lose it big time. So, he kept his mask on, staring straight ahead. The guards started to lead him away. Each step he took was agonizing, because he knew each step he took was breaking the love of his life's heart. Just keep walking.

Step.

"TY!"

Step.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Across town, Georgie was facing an unknown future in a different kind of way. In Hudson Memorial, on the fifth floor in the Intensive Care Unit, the young girl lay completely still in a hospital bed. She was attached to many screens and machines, monitoring all of her vitals and nearly everything her body was doing. She was in a coma from a bad head injury she sustained a couple weeks ago. Her family stood around her bed, along with the doctor.

"So, what exactly are we looking at?" Lou asked. Her voice was quiet and strained, from all the crying she'd done and like more tears were on the horizon.

Dr. Seymour looked upon the family with compassion and sympathy. "I'm not going to sugarcoat things. You all need to know what you're facing," the doctor told them, truthfully. "The surgery was successful, yes, but things are far from over. You're in for a long and hard road. She sustained a very bad injury to the back of her skull. There was bleeding on the brain, but we fixed that with surgery. However, that could happen again. We're keeping a close eye on her, she's in the best care possible, and we'll get her out of the critical phase."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Peter asked, this time. He had been facing the window, and now turned to face the doctor.

"The best thing you can do is just to be here with her," Dr. Seymour explained. "Show her that you're here. It's been said that comatose patients can feel when someone is talking to them or holding their hand. They've may not have been able to respond right away, but it's something for them to hold on to. Good news is that she is young and she has a good chance of waking up from this. This is just her body's way of healing what's been broken."

Peter put his arm around his wife when she made a soft, whimpering sound. They both nodded understandingly at Dr. Seymour's words. She leaned her head against his chest and he rubbed his hand up and down her arm soothingly. They stared down at the girl on the bed. She was completely still, her hair fanned out on the pillow under her head and her arms lying by her side. She had a breathing tube down her throat helping her breathe, her chest rising and falling softly.

A machine counted off her heartbeats. _One...Two...Three..._

The doctor quietly left after that, leaving them to have some time alone with their daughter. Lou pulled out the chair next to the bed and sat down in it. She sighed softly and picked up Georgie's hand, maybe a little hesitantly, afraid that she was a little breakable. "Ok, Georgie, it's all up to you now," she told her daughter, "This is your turn to fight."

 _One ..._

"We love you."

… _Two ..._

"Come back to us."

… … _Three … …_

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, there's the new chapter. I kind of surprised myself by finishing it tonight. I hope you liked it, and, again, I'm so sorry for the long wait. I don't plan on giving up on this story, please know that. Anyway, please review and tell me what you thought. I love hearing from all of you; it makes me feel good that you all love this story so much.


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